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JACK HILDRETH ON THE NILE. 


JACK HILDRETH AMONG THE INDIANS. 

WiNKETOU, THE ApaCHE KnIGHT. i 2 mo, cloth, 85 cents. 

The Treasure of Nugget Mountain. 1 2 mo, cloth, 85 cents. 

For sale by all Catholic booksellers, or sent 
postpaid on receipt of price, by 

BENZIGER BROTHERS, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago. 


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“ OBEDIENT TO THIS ORDER WE WERE TAKEN TO THE SC ENE OF WHAT 
PROVED TO BE IBN ASL’S LAST CRIME, WHERE HE WAS WAITING OUR 
COMING SEATED ON A RUG, UNMOVED IN THE :\IIDST OF THE DESOLATION.” 

(see PAGE 237 .) 


JACK HILDRETH ON THE 
NILE. 


Adapted from the Original of C. May 

By MARION AMES TAGGART, 

It 

Author of “Loyal Blue and Royal Scarlet,” 

“ The Blissylvania Post Office,” etc. 


r 


New York, Cincinnati, Chicago : 

BKNZIQKR BROTHERS, 

Printers to tke Holy Apostolic See. 

1900. 

V.' 


Library of Congr 9 «% 
OffloG 0 f tbs 

APR 1 7 1900 

R«gl<tar of Copyright*! 




/ 


6 



Copyright, 1899, by Benziger Brothers. 



SECOND COPY* 


‘ 3 $ 

I 'I 

I o . 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 1. 

A Righteous Theft, .... 


PAGE 

. 5 

CHAPTER 11. 

Evil Spirits, though no Ghosts, 


15 

CHAPTER III. 

A Boatload of Scamps, 


25 

CHAPTER IV. 

The Reis Effendina Administers Justice, . 


35 

CHAPTER V. 

In the Palace of the Pasha, 


44 

CHAPTER VI. 

The Serious Consequences of an Eclipse, 


53 

CHAPTER VII. 

In the Tomb of the Pharaos, 

, 

63 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Out of the Tomb and Away from Siout, . 


72 

CHAPTER IX. 

On the Track of the Slave Caravan, 


79 

CHAPTER X. 

Once More the Fakir, 


89 

CHAPTER XL 

To the Rescue, .... 


. 100 


3 


4 


CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER XII. 

“Should Auld Acquaintance be Forgot?" . 

• 

PAGE 

II3 

CHAPTER XHI. 

The Reis Effendina in Danger, 

• 

124 

CHAPTER XIV. 

In Ibn Asl’s Clutches, .... 


134 

CHAPTER XV. 

Slipped through His Fingers, 


145 

CHAPTER XVI. 

The Crocodiles Rejoice, .... 


154 

CHAPTER XVH. 

An Old Friend in a New Guise, 


167 

CHAPTER XVHI. 

A Woman’s Gratitude, .... 

. 

177 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Jack Pays His Debt, and Makes a Conversion, . 


186 

CHAPTER XX. 

Selim Once More, ..... 

. 

197 

CHAPTER XXI. 

The Muza’bir and the Mokkadem Get to the End of the 
Rope, ....... 

208 

CHAPTER XXH. 

Friends Fall Out, ..... 

. 

219 

CHAPTER XXHI. 

Ibn Asl’s Last Crime, .... 


228 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

The Task Fulfilled, 


240 


JACK HILDRETH ON THE NILE. 


CHAPTER I. 

A RIGHTEOUS THEFT. 

Life is an interesting thing under all circumstances, and 
men are worth studying whether they he savage or civilized. 
There was something horn in me, however, which pre- 
vented me from being a mere spectator of life; like the 
small boy in ^TTelen^s Babies,^’ I liked to ^^see the wheels 
go round,^^ it is true, but it was not possible to keep from 
giving them a shove at the same time. 

When I came back from the West I had no definite plan 
of life, and after six months of inaction I began to get 
restless. I had no desire to return to the West, for with 
Winnetou, my adopted Apache brother, dead, there was 
little attraction to me in the scenes we had roamed to- 
gether. 

Having once followed the star of empire in a westerly 
direction, I began to think of the East; I wanted, as Eud- 
yard Kipling says, to hear ^The desert talk.^’ 

I broached the subject to my uncle, whose heir I was to 
be, and whose name I bore, he being J ohn Hildreth and I 
Jack Hildreth, and found he had no objection to my having 
a few more of what the Germans call ^Vander years.’’ 

Uncle John had a friend who, opportunely, had some 
business interests in Cairo, which he wanted looked after 

5 


6 


A RIGHTEOUS THEFT. 


by a person in whom he could confide, so, armed with this 
reason for setting forth, I started for Egypt, with the 
understanding that, after I had done the errand on which 
I had been sent, I was to be free to go whither I willed. 

^The TriumphanV^^^El Kahireh,’’the^^Gate of the East’^ 
— ^these are titles the Egyptian gives the principal city of 
his land. Though the first of these is no longer appropriate, 
the last two, in perfect justice, belong to Cairo ; it certainly 
is the gate of the East. It has been overrun with Eu- 
ropeans, however, and the French especially have set their 
mark upon it. Shepherd’s Hotel, the New Hotel, the 
Hotel d’Orient, the Hotel du Nil, the Hotel des Ambas- 
sadeurs, and countless other inns, cafes, and restaurants 
provide the traveller with everything he is used to at home, 
but at a cost which would require an English milord to 
meet — a personage one is likely to be mistaken for if he 
comes decently clad, and with an English accent. 

On my arrival there was no delay in attending to the 
business intrusted to me, which took all my time for three 
days. After that I was free to do whatever attracted me, 
and my first step was to sally forth to see what I could dis- 
cover in respectable lodgings at a reasonable price. 

The streets were full of a queer crowd. On the corner was 
a group of donkey boys, splitting the air with their cries. 
The Egyptian donkey is the unwearying, faithful servant 
of his master, who rewards him with scanty food and 
many blows and kicks. Laden with the heaviest rider, the 
little beast travels many hours, and even capers on his 
thankless way. Behind him runs his driver, beating him, 
occasionally adding a kick to the blows, or stoning him, 
and hastening his speed with deafening shouts. These 
drivers are keen judges of men; they know at a glance 
whether they are looking at a Frenchman, Englishman, 
Italian, or German. They know a word or a sentence of 


A RIGHTEOUS THEFT. 


7 


the language of each one, and seem to have a scrap of 
knowledge of the history or geography of every land. 
^^Here is a beautiful Bismarck,” cries one, on recognizing a 
German; the Bismarck, of course, being his donkey. 
^‘^Here is a fine General Grant,” cries another to an Ameri- 
can, while the Englishman is saluted with the invitation to 
try a ^^good Beefsteak,” or ride a ^^renowned Palmerston”^ 
and the Frenchman is assured that here is 'fie grand Na- 
poleon, le meilleur animal de toute France.” 

A little way from the donkey boys two Arab Jugglers sat 
in the middle of the street exhibiting their skill. A few feet 
further a "muhadMit,” or story teller, had drawn around 
him a circle of curiosity seekers, who were listening for the 
thousandth time to the same old tales. Close by, a little 
negro danced to the sound of a kind of flute, while closely 
veiled women, mounted on donkeys, rode slowly past. 
Then came a band of tall, swinging camels, each with a 
straw rope on his tail, fastening him to the next one. Be- 
hind them panted the drivers and porters with heavy 
burdens on their heads, singing with dull voices some re- 
iterated words to keep themselves in step. Then followed 
a water seller, bearing a large earthen vessel, from which 
he was prepared to quench one’s thirst for a slight recom- 
pense. The other side of the street illustrated the lack of 
privacy with which the most intimate concerns were con- 
ducted. The fronts of the houses were open, and the 
public eye could gaze upon each interior. In one I saw a 
worthy citizen squatting on his mat, holding a struggling 
child between his knees, whose tangled hair he was over- 
hauling for those incumbrances with which the Egyptians 
since the time of Pharao have been rich. From another 
house something was thrown into the street, which proved 
to be a poor cat. Just dead — very likely of starvation — and 
whose body was tossed into the street regardless of sanitary 


8 


A RIGHTEOUS THEFT. 


considerations. A little further on, a gray-haired man sat 
with his back against a post, his eyes closed, as the heads of 
his prayer chain slipped through his fingers, his lips moving 
in prayer. He saw and heard nothing around him; he had 
quitted earth and wandered in spirit in the fields of para- 
dise, promised by Mahomet to true believers. 

Suddenly a cry arose : ‘^May your morning be white.’^ It 
was a milkman, thus advertising his wares. ^‘Delicious 
flavor, dripping with juice,^^ cried another, who sold 
melons. ‘^They sprang from the tears of the Prophet, 0 
fragrance of all fragrance,^’ echoed the voice of the rose 
merchant, while the ^^scharhetti,’^ or peddler of rose-water, 
cried ^Tength of life, death to death; it purifies the 
blood.^’ 

Opposite a cafe stood a little negro girl, perhaps eight 
years old, with a basket hung around her neck, who cried 
at intervals, in a discouraged tone: ^Tigs, figs, sweeter 
than my eyes !” Whoever had taught the child to say this 
was a good business man, for her dark eyes had a far-off, 
dreamy look which really was sweet. She was a pretty 
child, in spite of her black skin. The frightened, pleading 
tone, the outstretched, imploring hand, were certain to 
induce passers-by to spend a few para for figs. 

I could scarcely turn my eyes from the little creature; 
her voice sounded terror-stricken, and her cry of ^Tigs, 
figs,^’ fell on my ear like an appeal for help, and I deter- 
mined to give her a good backsheesh. I noticed that I was 
not the only one who felt drawn to the child; the little 
black waiter boy in the cafe had thrice slipped out while I 
stood there to buy a fig. Was it because he loved sweets, 
or from childish sympathy? When he approached the 
little girl her face lighted up with a loving look, as it did if 
he looked out the door and their eyes met. Turning to see 
if he were still in sight, I saw him crouching down in a 


A RIGHTEOUS THEFT. 


9 


corner, half turned away from the street, and — yes, he was 
crying; I saw him repeatedly rub the back of his hand 
across his eyes to dry the tears. The little girl discovered 
him in his corner, and, seeing that he was crying, both of 
her hands instantly flew up to her eyes. Evidently there 
was some connection between these two pretty ebony chil- 
dren. What made me do so I could not say, but I went 
over to the boy in the corner. As he saw me standing by 
him he jumped up, and, with a little bow, started to go 
away. I held him fast, however, and asked him, in a tone I 
tried to make encouraging : 

^‘^Why are you crying? CanT you tell me?’’ 

He looked me in the face, winked away his tears, and 
replied : 

‘^‘^Because no one buys from Djangeh.” 

^^Do you mean the little flg merchant over there?” 

^^Yes.” 

^^You buy from her; I saw you do so several times.” 

He seemed to think I accused him of gluttony, for he 
said, hastily : didn’t eat the flgs ; I’ll give them back to 

her when the master has gone by. I only bought them so 
she could have some money, for if she doesn’t bring in five 
piasters at night she will be beaten, and have nothing to 
eat, and be tied in a circle by her hands and feet to a post. 
I must bring in eight piasters; the cafe keeper gives me 
three each day; I have had four to-day as backsheesh, and 
I only need one more. Some one is sure to give me that, so 
I gave twenty para to Djangeh for figs.” 

^‘To whom do you have to bring these piasters?” I asked. 

^^To our master.” 

^^He is Djangeh’s master also?” 

‘^Yes; she is my sister.” 

^^And what is your master’s name?” 

^^He is a wicked man, called Abd el Barak.” 


lO 


A RIGHTEOUS THEFT. 


^Tlas he hired you from your father 
^^No; our father and mother live far away. He bought 
us of the men who attacked our village, burned our houses, 
and took us prisoners, with many others, to sell us.^’ 

^^So you are slaves, you poor little creatures!’^ I cried. 
'^What was your native country called?” 

don’t know; it had no name; there was a river called 
Bahr el Abiad. Our people were called Dongiol,” answered 
the boy. 

^^Well, don’t cry any more to-day; nothing shall happen 
you. Here are ten piasters, which you may share with 
Djangeh; she shall have her supper, and not be abused.” 

As I laid the money in his hand tears of joy sprang in 
his eyes, his lips moved as if to thank me, but he could not 
speak, and I turned awa}^, followed by his grateful eyes. 

1 went into the cafe and sat down to think over this sad 
little story. The Viceroy had forbidden slave-trading, and 
yet here was proof that, as I had been told, it was still se- 
cretly carried on. Poor, faithful, loving little chap! He 
had not forgotten his country and people, and how beauti- 
ful and touching was his love for his sister! And this 
Abdel Barak, which means ^^dispenser of blessings”; how 
ill his name accorded with his actions ! 

As I was reflecting on these things and considering how 
I could rescue the children, a man appeared from the side 
street who could never pass unnoticed. He was in the 
prime of life, of a commanding flgure, tall and strongly 
built, evidently possessing great muscular power. He had 
heavy jaws, compressed lips, and his color indicated 
African blood in his veins. In spite of the indications that 
he had sprung from the Soudan, he wore green slippers and 
turban to show he was a successor of the Prophet. In each 
hand he held a prayer chain, and around his neck hung a 
case with the ^^Hamael” — that is, a Koran written in the sa- 


A RIGHTEOUS THEFT, 


II 


cred city of Mecca, and bought during a pilgrimage to the 
tomb of the Prophet. Holding himself very erect, he 
made his way along the street, his whole manner saying 
plainly: ‘‘Here am I; who is like to me? Fall down in the 
dust before me.’^ From the first glance, this man was 
antagonistic to me, though I did not guess how just my 
dislike was, nor what grounds he was to give me for de- 
testing him. The bystanders saluted the newcomer with 
profound salaams, laying their hands on their hearts, lips 
and brow, all of which he acknowledged with the slightest 
bend of the head, and passed through a door near-by, sig- 
nalling the little slave boy and girl to follow. I saw an ex- 
pression of terror on the boy’s face as his trembling sister 
joined him, and the eyes of both were full of tears. 

Could this man be Abd el Barak? Of course it was, and 
I hastened after the children with a presentiment that they 
would need me. As I reached the door a frightened wail 
rang in my ear; I sprang over the sill. Behind the door 
lay a small court, in which the man was standing. He held 
Djangeh up by the hair with both hands, and she dared not 
utter a sound beyond a moan, which she could not repress. 
Before them knelt the boy, pleading: "'Let her go; oh, 
let her go, and I will pay for her.” 

The v/retch shook Djangeh from side to side as she hung 
by her hair, and said to the boy, with a ferocious grin : "So 
you have more money than you give? I thought so. Give 

it over, and if you ” He stopped, for he saw me. 

Letting the poor child sink downward, he demanded: 
"Who are you? What do you want?” 

"Let that child free, instantly !” I answered. 

He gnashed his teeth like a wild beast, but I paid no at- 
tention to this; rather, to make sure I was obeyed, dealt 
him a blow on the chest which made his fingers open, and 
Djangeh fell to the ground, where she lay, not daring to 


12 


A RIGHTEOUS THEFT. 


move. Abd el Barak stepped back a few paces, bent over, 
doubled his fists, and would have thrown himself upon me, 
but I cried : “Stop ! Will a successor of the Prophet get 
into a scrimmage?” 

He paused and straightened himself, but what a face I 
saw ! It defied description. The blood had left it, and its 
brown tint had changed to a dirty gray. His lips were 
open, disclosing two rows of long, yellow teeth; his eyes 
flashed fire, and his breath came in gasps. 

“Dog!” he snarled. “Thou hast attacked a Sheik, a 
successor of the Prophet. Dost thou know me?” 

“Ho,” I answered, quietly, keeping my eyes on his. 

“I am the Sheik Hadschi Abd el Barak, Mokkadem of 
the sacred Kadis.” 

This was an interesting piece of news. He was the chief 
of the members of the pious brotherhood which admin- 
istered so-called justice in Egypt ! However, without seem- 
ing much affected by these tidings, I replied: “Very 
likely you are, but why do you not act like a son of the 
Prophet and the head of such a pious confraternity?” 

“What knowest thou of my actions? Has thou not seen 
just now how all heads bowed before me? Humble thyself 
also, thou dog I Thou hast struck me, and I will tell thee 
how to make amends for such an injury.” 

“I kneel to no man; I am not a Moslem, but a Christian.” 

He positively swelled before me. “A Christian, a giaour, 
a thieving dog !” he roared. “And thou hast dared annoy 
the Sheik Abd el Barak! It were better for thee thy 
mother had strangled thee at birth, for I will seize thy 
throat — 

“Oh, don’t chatter,” I interrupted him. “Every one of 
your threats is laughable. You are no greater than I, and 
have not the slightest power over me. I am answerable to 
my consul, and he doesn’t care about your titles. Kepeat 


A RIGHTEOUS THEFT. 


13 


your insults and Fll knock you down, and appeal to the law 
to find out whether the acts of a man who buys slave 
children, beats and starves them, and ties them to posts if 
they fail to bring him the money he wants are pleasing to 
God/^ 

He fell back at these words, crying: ^^Who, who told 
thee this? It was this boy, this jackal! Woe be to him 
when he comes home to-night/^ 

^^Youfil do him no harm; Fll take care of that,^^ I said. 

^‘Thou wilt take care of it? Wouldst thou give me com- 
mands, thou a dog of a Christian, whom Allah will burn 
forever in ” 

He got no further, for I had been guilty of wrong to 
myself and all Christians with whom he v/ould deal later if 
I allowed his words to pass unpunished. I drew ofi and 
gave him such a blow that he fell flat, and lay on the pave- 
ment senseless. 

^^Quick, quick, cried the negro boy, trembling between 
joy and fright. ^^He’s dead! Don^t go out into the street 
again, but through the little gate at the back of the court, 
where you will find a deserted house, and over its wall you 
can get to another street. But hasten, hasten.^^ 

‘^^He is not dead, only unconscious, and I have no fear,^^ 
I said. ^^But I will take the road you say. Come with me; 
Abd el Barak shall never beat you again.^^ 

I took the boy’s hand in my left one, the girl’s in my 
right, and went out through the little gate. We climbed 
over the wall, and came out on the back street, the children 
following me silently, too dazed with the thought that they 
had been rescued from their oppressor to be sure whether 
they walked on air or earth. But their black eyes looked at 
me adoringly, and I saw they would follow me unhesita- 
tingly to the ends of the earth. 

How, the question was: What shall I do with them? 


14 


A RIGHTEOUS THEFT. 


Two stolen negro slave children were puzzling luggage for 
a young American traveller. I had made hut one acquaint- 
ance in Cairo, beyond the business connection of my 
uncle’s friend. This man was called Murad !N’ass3rr, and to 
him I resolved to go for advice and help. 


CHAPTEE II. 


EVIL SPIRITS, THOUGH NO GHOSTS. 

Closely followed by my two poor little companions, I 
went straight to the house of Murad I^ass3rr, where I had 
been before. The door was opened to me by his long, thin 
steward Selim, who appeared surprised at the sight of my 
companions. His master was not at home, so I dispatched 
him to the coffee house Murad Hassyr most frequented, and 
went to the inner court to await his coming. 

In less than half an hour Murad Nassyr pushed aside the 
curtain across the entrance, but stopped short when he saw 
the children. 

^^What does this mean?^’ he cried. ^^Have these negroes 
come here with you? Why do you wish to see me?^’ 

^Tt is a long story, Murad Hassyr,’^ I replied. ^Tf you will 
allow me I will tell you it.^^ 

The master of the house made up his mind to accept its 
invasion in so far as listening to my explanation, for, 
coming over, he seated himself beside me. I related to him 
as briefly as I could the story of my purloining the little 
slaves, to whom their master had no more right than I. He 
heard me with many groans of alarm and horror, and no 
signs of sympathy for the little victims. When I finished 
he broke forth into Turkish exclamations, and, becoming 
articulate, demanded if I did not fear so great a man as 
Abd el Barak. ^^You saw how respectfully he was treated,” 
he said. ^^He has influence which may be very dangerous 
to us.” 

don’t care how others treat him,” I said. ^^The main 
15 


1 6 EVIL SPIRITS, THOUGH NO GHOSTS 

thing, to my mind, is the way I treated him, and no one 
could call that respectful. You have no reason to fear him, 
for you have done nothing to him.^^ 

^^But you are my guest at this moment, and I am respon- 
sible for your acts,” replied poor Murad Nassyr. 

I rose up, as if to go, saying : can easily remove that 

difficulty by leaving. I am looking for a lodging, and only 
came for your advice.” 

^^No, no; you will stay here. I should never consent to 
your leaving my house under the circumstances,” he said. 

^^That is a generous speech, Murad Nassyr,” I said, 
taking his hand. ‘^To be frank with you, I hoped you 
would offer to shelter me and these children. You said to 
me the other day that you would like me to come to stay 
with you — that I could do you m great service. Now, I need 
a refuge for these unfortunate little creatures until I can 
place them in safety; give me this, and I will try to do you 
the service you desire. Is it a bargain?” 

^^Yes,” replied Murad Nassyr, after a moment’s thought, 
and calling Selim, who struck me as being suspiciously 
prompt to reply to his summons, he committed the children 
to his charge, instructing him to give them food and sweet- 
meats. 

When they had withdrawn, Murad Nassyr turned to me. 
^‘You are a Christian,” he began; ^^and I know so little of 
your religion that I am ignorant of its teachings. Do you 
believe in heaven and hell?” 

^^Certainly.” 

^^Do you think departed souls can return to earth as 
ghosts? Answer on your conscience.” 

^^As spirits, I believe they can, but not as ghosts in my 
sense of the word ghost,” I replied, surprised. 

^^You are mistaken; there are ghosts,” he replied, posi- 
tively. 


EVIL SPIRITS, THOUGH NO GHOSTS. 


17 


you think so I will not argue the point, though I am 
not of your opinion.” 

“You will he of my opinion. By morning you will be- 
lieve there are ghosts, for this house is haunted.” He 
looked at me steadily as he spoke, expecting to see me 
shrink, hut I remained unmoved, only saying, laughingly : 
“There may he what is considered a ghost in the house; I 
don’t doubt your sincerity, hut you have mistaken some- 
thing, perhaps a shadow, for an apparition. Tell me about 
it.” 

“Shadows are dark; this ghost is white,” he said, 
shaking his head. “It goes through closed doors, rattles 
chains, howls and shrieks like the wind, harks like a dog, 
brays like a donkey or camel.” 

“Have you seen it yourself?” 

“Certainly, and so have my sister and her servants, the 
steward, and my two negroes. It appears at a certain time, 
around midnight, remains an hour every time, and comes 
each day.” 

“Have you any idea whose ghost it is?” 

“Yes; the ghost of the former owner of the house.” 

“Eeally! Haven’t you a clear title deed?” 

“I pray you, don’t jest, Effendi,” cried Murad Hassyr, 
earnestly. “I can’t stay here if the house continues 
haunted. It is the cheapest rent in Cairo, for every one 
knows the house is haunted, and they can’t get a tenant.” 

“On the whole, I should say the ghostly past owner was 
playing a low-down trick, thus spoiling the property for 
his successor; who owns it now?” 

“His widow; she has the use of it till she dies; then the 
brotherhood of the Kadis can take it, or if she refuses to 
keep it, as she must if things go on in this way.” 

“The Kadis!” I exclaimed. “My friend Ahd el Barak 
has other scamps among his associates ! Don’t you see that 


1 8 EVIL SPIRITS, THOUGH NO GHOSTS. 

some one is sent by them to play the ghost here that the 
house may he abandoned, and fall into their hands? Let 
me have the room -where the ghost is usually seen, and Idl 
venture to say youdl have no more trouble with him after 
to-night.” 

^^You seem to have no fear!” cried Murad ISTassyr, ad- 
miringly. ^The favor I longed to ask of you was that you 
would watch with us one night, though I feared you would 
not see him, for, being a Christian, he might account you 
unclean.” 

^^Idl make him so unclean that he shall be a laughing- 
stock to all Islam. Do you sleep in the dark ?” 

“No; we all burn lights for fear of the ghost.” 

“Yet nevertheless he comes?” 

“Nevertheless he comes,” assented Murad Nassyr, with a 
shudder. “He comes through bolted doors, and wanders 
before our eyes up and down the lighted rooms; oh, it is 
horrible I” 

“And where does Selim sleep, the brave steward, who de- 
clares he is the hero of his tribe and the world?” 

“Behind the outside door, where his bed is made, and he 
has seen the ghost often.” 

“Well, it grows dark even now. If you will permit me, I 
will visit my small charges, and then prepare for the vigil,” 
I said. 

I found the children comfortably bestowed, and happy 
in their first good supper and freedom from abuse in the 
two years since they had been enslaved. I was grateful to 
the ghost I purposed capturing, for I knew well that Murad 
Nassyr would never have risked sheltering them from Abd 
el Barak had he not desired my help even more than he 
acknowledged. I, too, supped abundantly with my host, 
who then conducted me to the scene of my next adventure, 
pressed my hand as he said good night, and left me. I 


EVIL SPIRITS, THOUGH NO GHOSTS. 


19 


heard the door of his apartment clang behind him, and the 
holt drawn; I was alone to await my next visitor, who was 
supposed to come from another world. 

I had provided myself with strong ropes, from one of 
which I made a lasso such as Sam Hawkins had so well 
taught me to use on the plains. With these, and my knife 
and pistol close at hand, I lay down on the couch placed for 
me, and drew up the blanket so that only my face showed. 

I had not long to wait. I heard a rustle by the door 
leading to Murad Hass3rr’s apartment, which opened, and 
the ghost entered. By the light I saw a thin, pointed in- 
strument in his hand, which he inserted in the hole to push 
hack the holt. I held my lids down, feigning sleep, hut 
watched everything through my lashes. I felt ashamed for 
Murad Nassyr; this apparition had nothing ghost-like 
about it. The fellow was wrapped in a white burnoose that 
fell to the ground, the hood drawn over his head, and a 
white cloth covered his face, in which two holes had been 
cut for the eyes. This was not a spirit, a ghost, but a man, 
and remarkably like the figure of Abd el Barak. He came 
over to my side and stood watching me for a few moments 
to assure himself I was really sleeping, though how I could 
be supposed to be I did not understand, for some com- 
panion ghosts were in the next room imitating the howling 
of dogs, and making a hubbub fit to waken the Seven 
Sleepers. Very softly my ghost bent over me, his right 
hand crept out of the burnoose, and I saw the flash of a 
knife blade. I did not spring up, for such a movement 
would have brought me directly in contact with the knife, 
but I threw myself at his feet, and tripped him up. The 
knife flew from his hand, and he fell flat across the couch. 
The next moment I was over him, choking him with the 
left hand, while with the right I dealt him a blow back of 
the ear. He made a feeble effort at resistance and then he- 


20 


EVIL SPIRITS, THOUGH NO GHOSTS. 


came unconscious, whereupon I hound his arms and legs 
fast, and placed a nice, comfortable little gag between his 
jaws, that in case he regained consciousness he should not 
call for help. After that I pulled off the cloth covering his 
face, and saw, as I expected, the cruel countenance of Ahd 
el Barak. 

Without stopping to meditate on the fate that had de- 
livered the children’s oppressor into my hands while en- 
gaged in actions for which he would he punishable by law, 
I went in pursuit of his comrades. Taking my revolver, I 
crawled on my hands and knees, close to the dark wall, into 
the next room. There were two charming fellows here, 
who, to make themselves like the beasts they were imitat- 
ing, were going about on all fours. Keeping myself as 
near the floor as I could, I crept up to them, my garments 
being too dark for me to he easily distinguished from the 
rugs. When I was within six or seven paces of the one 
nearest me, I sprang up and knocked him down with one 
good blow. He uttered a tremendous shriek, but lay still. 
The other, warned by this cry, arose. He saw me and 
started to run away, I after him, toward the basin of a 
fountain. A stone of the coping of this basin had gotten 
loose; I did not see it and tripped over it, thus delaying my 
flight just enough to let the fellow get sufflcient start so 
that when I got into the garden I saw hjm escaping over 
the wall. I caught him by the foot and pulled him hack. 
He came with such force that I fell under him; he drew 
his knife, hut I was too quick for him, and made a swift 
turn, which brought the thrust between my arm and side. 
Then I gave him a blow on the nose, and tried to hold him 
by his knife hand. The pain of his cracked nose redoubled 
his strength; he wrenched himself free, made a dash for 
the wall, mounted it, dropped on the other side, and I heard 
him running away for dear life. 


EVIL SPIRITS, THOUGH NO GHOSTS. 


21 


Well, it was a pity he had got off, hut I was lucky to have 
escaped his knife. Consoling myself with this thought, I 
returned to the house. I found Ghost Number Two lying 
where my blow had stretched him. I disarmed him, and 
went to the main entrance of the house, where the brave 
Selim lay. As he heard me coming he began the Moslem 
pilgrim’s prayer: "0 Allah, protect me from the thrice- 
stoned devil, deliver me from all evil spirits, and cover the 
depths of hell from mine eyes.” 

^^Stop whimpering,” I said, ^^and get up. It is I.” 

‘^You? And who are you?” came a voice from beneath 
the blanket in which he had muffled himself. “I know who 
you are. Go from me, for I am beloved of the Prophet, and 
you have no power over me.” 

“Nonsense! Don’t you know my voice? I am the 
stranger Effendi, who is your guest.” 

“No, you are not. You have assumed his voice to de- 
ceive. But the hands of the holy caliphs are outspread to 
protect me, and in paradise a million lips move in pra 5 ^er 
for my delivery. 0 Allah, Allah, Allah, let my sins be so 
small before Thee that Thou canst not see them, and help 
me to overcome the evil spirit whose claws tear at my 
back.” 

The man who had boasted himself the greatest hero in 
the universe was fairly quivering with terror, till I pulled 
him out of his blanket, and he saw it was indeed I, in my 
own flesh, when he changed his tone. “Effendi!” he cried, 
“what a risk you ran ! Fortunately, I recognized your voice 
instantly. Had I mistaken you for the ghost, your soul 
would have gone out of your body like smoke, for I am ter- 
rible in my wrath.” 

“It’s a lucky thing you feel thus,” I answered, “for you 
can help me with the ghost I have captured in my room.” 

“Effendi, you are jesting. Who could capture a ghost?” 


22 EVIL SPIRITS, THOUGH NO GHOSTS. 

am not jesting; he lies yonder; we’ll bring him in 
here.” 

^‘Deliver ns, 0 Lord, and bless us with Thy blessing !” he 
cried, stretching out his hands as if to ward off danger. 
^^No order from the khedive, no law, and no command 
could make me go into that place where the evil spirit lies.” 

^Tt isn’t a ghost ; it’s a man.” 

^Then tell me his name, the name of his father, and his 
father’s father, and where his tribe abides, or I cannot be- 
lieve him a man.” 

'^This is sheer nonsense; I knocked him down, and 
bound him, and in the next room lies a second man in the 
same condition,” I said impatiently. 

‘^Then you are lost; they have let themselves appear 
conquered, only to destroy you, body and soul, and throw 
the pieces to the wind.” 

^^Go back to your bed and hide under the blanket. But 
never say again you are the most famous hero of your 
tribe.” 

So saying I left him in disgust to return to my prisoners, 
while he, as I learned later, went to call his master and tell 
him how he, Selim, single-handed and alone, had fought 
and conquered the two men who were playing ghosts. 

I went over to Ghost Number Two and felt his head; 
it was swollen, but not broken; his heart beat evenly. I 
laid my hand on him none too gently, saying: ‘^He who 
plays the dead should be dead. Take care I do not put an 
end to you. You have escaped this time, but ghosts receive 
very little mercy at my hands.” 

Selim opportunely thrust his head around the door at 
this moment, and I beckoned him to me. ^'You must stay 
with my other prisoner while I speak with Murad Nassyr,” 
I said. hope I can trust him to you?” 

^^With full confidence, Effendi,” he replied, vauntingly. 


EVIL SPIRITS, THOUGH NO GHOSTS. 


23 


^^You may rest assured that he is safe. A glance from my 
eagle eye will be enough to fill him with terror. But let 
me get my weapons.” 

^^That is not necessary, for he is hound.” 

know that well, Efiendi, but weapons double a man’s 
value, and give his orders the force they require.” 

Plainly he was afraid to be left alone with these helpless 
men, so I consented to his dragging in his entire arsenal, 
and went to find Murad Nassyr. We agreed in our opinion 
of the best course to take, and returned together to Abd el 
Barak, sending Selim away, that he might not know what 
was done with the prisoner. I went over to Abd el Barak 
and unfastened his bonds. Then showing him my revolver, 
I said : “I’ll make you a ghost in truth if you move with- 
out my permission. Listen to me.” 

He gave me a glance full of the bitterest hatred, folded 
his arms and said : “I hear you.” 

“First of all, you shall renounce all right to the negro 
children I rescued.” 

“I renounce it,” he said, with a movement of the hand as 
if it were of no interest to him. 

“You will do so in writing, that there shall be no ques- 
tion about it.” 

“Very well, I will.” 

“You shall also give me a letter of credit recommending 
me to the protection of all the brethren of your society, the 
Kadis.” 

“I will write it.” He answered as promptly as before ; so 
promptly that I mistrusted him. 

“And, finally, you shall confess in writing the part you 
have played here, and acknowledge how you were captured. 
We will draw this up, and you shall sign it.'’ 

“By the life of the Prophet, I never will,” he cried. 

“Swear not by Mahomet ; you cannot keep your oath.” 


24 


EVIL SPIRITS, THOUGH NO GHOSTS. 


will keep it. What would you do with this paper 
you do nothing to injure us, we will show it to no 
one, but if you should prove treacherous, we will know how 
to use it. It shall be published abroad, and your piety shall 
be known in its true aspect.^^ 

I had played my highest trump and waited its effect on 
Abd el Barak. He asked permission to rise, and paced the 
floor for several minutes. At last he paused before me, 
and asked: ^^If I do this thing shall we leave here un- 
harmed?’’ 

^^Yes.” 

^^And the writing never be shown till you know I have 
done you an injury?” 

^^Never.” 

^^By my soul, and the souls of my fathers, you are a man 
to be feared! The day of your birth was an evil day for 
me. Write, and I will sign.” 

Seating myself at a table, I drew up the confession, and 
then beckoned Abd el Barak to come and sign it. He 
signed, and handed it back to me with a heavy sigh. ^*^80 
then we are through. Hnbind this man and let us go.” 

We freed Ghost Humber Two, and conducted them to 
the door, where Selim stood ready to draw the bolt. As 
Abd el Barak set his foot over the threshold he turned back 
to us, and, addressing me, said in a derisive tone: ^^God 
protect you, God deliver you; I hope to see you again in a 
short time.” 

Then with his companion ghost he disappeared. 


CHAPTEE III. 


A BOATLOAD OF SCAMPS. 

The children were now definitely in my hands, and the 
first steps I had to take was to arrange for their well-being. 
The only course possible to me, since I meant to push on 
into Egypt, was to leave the hoy and girl in the hands of 
the kind Sisters of Charity, who, happily, are to he found 
everywhere. It was not without many tears that the unfor- 
tunate little creatures parted from me, whom they regarded 
as a sort of visible providence, their only friend. But I left 
them in hands better able than I was to care for them and 
make them happy, and turned to the preparations for my 
departure from Cairo, perfectly satisfied that their welfare 
was assured. 

Murad Nassyr engaged passage for me on a ^^dahahijeh” 
going up the Nile, called the ‘^^Semek,” .or fish, because of 
its speed. 

^^Selim,^^ I said to the long steward, as I made my prep- 
arations for sailing; ^^Selim, while you were left alone with 
Abd el Barak last night, did you tell him that I should sail 
on the ^Semek^ to-day?^’ 

^^No, I did not say a word,^^ he replied. 

^^Be honest; more depends on it than you think.^’ 

He laid both hands on his heart and said, with the great- 
est appearance of frankness: ^^Effendi, do not insult my 
pious soul by thinking I would lie to you. Why should I 
have chattered? I was born the son of silence, and only 
such words as are pleasing to Allah and the holy caliphs 

25 


26 


A BOATLOAD OF SCAMPS. 


proceed from my lips. I swear I have not said a word of 
your going.” 

‘^Good,” I said, though I felt doubtful still. ^^When 
does the Mahahijeh’ start?” 

‘^At three; you know that is the hour of departure for 
all faithful Moslems.” 

‘^And where does she lie? Is there a coffee house near by 
from which she can he seen?” 

‘‘Yes, there is a coffee house near her landing, from which 
the deck can he easily overlooked. I will show it to you.” 

“Ho, that was not what I was thinking of. I hope you 
have told me the truth, and remember, it is hard for a liar 
to get confidence a second time.” 

“Right, most right,” he said, bowing so low that the brim 
of his turban swept the floor as he left the room. 

Murad Hassyr conducted me to the “dahahijeh” with 
much ceremony. He thought there would he no more 
trouble with Abdel Barak, because I held his written con- 
fession; but remembering the derision in his voice as he 
left us, I felt sure there would he some attempt on his part 
at revenge. We parted with mutual expressions of good- 
will, while Selim actually kissed my hand, w^hich, consid- 
ering that I was an unbeliever and he an Arab Moslem, 
showed I must have made a profound impression on him. 

As I stepped on deck a voice at my elbow said : “Eff endi, 
allow me to bring on hoard your things lying there where 
the porter dropped them.” 

I turned and saw a man standing with a deferential air 
close at my elbow. His little eyes gleamed sharp under 
his bushy brows, his thin lips were drawn in at the corners 
as if to control contemptuous laughter, and his nose — ah, 
that nose ! It was green, yellow, red, and blue, and swollen 
dreadfully. What could he have done to get such a nose? 
Involuntarily, I thought of Ghost Humber Three, with 


A BOATLOAD OF SCAMPS. 


27 


whose nose my fist had come in such violent contact in the 
garden. At the same time I heard the sailors singing ‘^Ah 
ia sidi Ahd el Kader/^ the favorite air of the Moslems be- 
longing to the Kadis, and I wondered if the captain were a 
member of this brotherhood. Suppose Selim had told Abd 
el Barak I was to sail that day, and he had sent Ghost 
Kumber Three on board? 

‘^What is your name?’’ I asked the man, suddenly. 

He hesitated, then replied, as if using the first words that 
occurred to him: am called Ben Schorak.” 

^^What is your tribe? How long have you been on this 
ship ?” 

am an Arab, of the tribe of Maazeh, and have been 
on board over a year.” 

^^Good ! Fetch my things, and if I am pleased with you, 
you shall have generous backsheesh.” 

Then I walked over to the captain and asked him if he 
had a man whom he could spare for my personal service. 
The captain pointed to where my swollen-nosed friend was 
busy with my luggage, and replied unsuspiciously: ‘T 
have already appointed a man to your use. He is working 
for you now.” 

^^What is his name?” 

^^Barik.” 

^^A Bedouin?” 

^^Ko, he comes from Minieh.” 

‘^Ts he trustworthy? How long have you had him?” 

^Tour months.” 

This was enough; I was sure it was Ghost Humber 
Three, and he had not had the foresight to have concocted 
his answers with the captain, so their stories would agree. 
I wondered whether he had been sent on board to murder 
me, or steal Abd el Barak’s acknowledgment of guilt. 
Most probably the latter, since as I was known to have 


28 


A BOATLOAD OF SCAMPS. 


sailed on the ^^Semek/^ my murder might be attended by un- 
pleasant consequences; I would keep a sharp lookout and 
try hard to defend myself against whatever was to follow. 

We got under way immediately, and made good speed up 
the river in tho strong north wind, until the sunset, and 
the ^hnoghieb,” or evening prayer, was said. Then the cap- 
tain lowered part of the sails, and we crawled onward but 
slowly, and I saw that the “dahabijeh” was headed toward 
the left bank. I went to the captain to ask an explanation 
of this movement, and was told we were to anchor for the 
night at Gizeh. 

^‘^What is that for, when we have just begun our voyage?’’ 

‘^You ought to know that no ship continues up the river 
after dark,” the captain replied. 

After dark, yes ; but it is not nearly dark yet, and it is 
going to be such bright moonlight that we could easily go 
on.” 

“I am captain of this ‘dahabijeh,’ and will give such 
orders as I see fit,” said the captain curtly, abandoning all 
the deference of manner he had shown previously, and 
turning abruptly away. 

There evidently was some special reason for this deter- 
mination on the part of the captain, and I felt sure it would 
prove part of a design against me. 

We anchored at Gizeh, and the sailors were given per- 
mission to go ashore, and went gladly, leaving only three 
persons on board with me: the captain, the pilot, and my 
devoted servant with the many-tinted nose. This fine 
specimen came to me in my cabin to ask me if I wished for 
an3rthing. I asked for water and a lamp, and when he 
brought them drew out my wallet, opened it, and ran over 
the papers in it to let the man see that it was full. This I 
did to hasten matters, and secure the thieves’ attack on a 
point at which I was prepared, if, as I suspected, they 


A BOATLOAD OB' SCAMPS. 


29 


meant to try to get Abd el Barak’s confession away from 
me. 

That I had guessed aright I felt convinced, for the man 
said, in a most cordial tone: ^^You are very wise, Effendi, 
to stay in the cabin. The night air on the river is dan- 
gerous to strangers. Do you think you will need me again?” 

^^N’o; I will eat a few dates, smoke a pipe, and then go 
to sleep.” 

will leave you then, and not disturb you. May your 
night be peaceful.” He made an obeisance only less 
low than Selim’s neck-breaking genuflection, and withdrew, 
dropping the matting which served as portiere to shut off 
the cabin from the deck. 

As soon as I thought it prudent I blew out my lamp and 
followed him. The deck was not lighted, except by the 
stars, and concealing myself behind the bales of tobacco 
piled on it, I crawled on my hands and knees close to where 
the three men were sitting, and where I could hear every 
word spoken. 

^‘What is he doing now, the giaour? May he be tortured 
for all eternity.” It was the captain speaking, with rather 
less than the politeness one might desire. 

^^He is smoking in his cabin,” answered Ghost Humber 
Three. ^^He won’t come out again; I told him the night 
air gave strangers fever.” 

^^That was wise of you. May his tobacco choke him! 
May the hand that struck the Mokkadem and stole his 
slaves be withered and powerless forever. Why are you 
forbidden to kill the dog?” 

^^Because it would bring you into danger. Later, the 
work will be finished. How, you need never know that the 
^muza’bir’ came on board.” 

A ^^muza’bir” is a juggler, and I listened sharply to hear 
what his errand to the ‘^'Semek” at night might be. 


30 A BOATLOAD OF SCAMPS. 

was not necessary to send him/’ said the captain. 
we had not been obliged to wait for the ^mnza’bir’ we could 
have gone farther, and you could have stolen the paper as 
well as he.” 

^^Allah wallah, what do you think I am? The giaour is a 
powerful wretch. He conquered the Mokkadem, who is as 
strong as a lion, knocked down his servant, and you see that 
I shall hear the mark of his hand for many a week. I 
know not fear, my heart is as full of courage as a 
panther’s, hut I will not try to take a paper hy night from 
the pocket of a man with such a death-dealing hand as his. 
The ^muza’hir’ is the most famous pickpocket in Egypt. 
He will take the paper and disappear. When the giaour 
misses it he may do what he pleases; it won’t he found on 
the ^dahahijeh.’ ” 

^^And you feel sure that Mokkadem will have him 
killed?” 

‘^Surely; the deed he has done can only he punished hy 
death,” answered the ghost, positively. ^^He will he 
spared now for your sake, hut later, perhaps when he gets 
to Siout, whither he is hound, he will he dealt with; I 
have orders to follow him all the way. See, the ^muza’hir’ 
comes.” As he spoke a man appeared over the side of the 
‘^dahahijeh,” carrying a lantern. Scanning the three hy its 
light, the newcomer said: “Massik Yilchair, good even- 
ing.” 

'^Ahla wah sahla wah marhaha,” responded the captain, 
wishing him in these words family and prosperity. 

I wanted to see ^The most famous pickpocket in Egypt” 
who had come to roh me, and cautiously stuck my head out 
around the tobacco hale. He had set the lantern where its 
light fell on his face. He was about the same age as the 
Mokkadem, the same color, and had the same negro t3rpe 
of features; not so tall, hut broader shouldered than his 


A BOATLOAD OF SCAMPS. 


31 


chief, and equally strong. He was clad in a long, dark 
shirt, belted, with a knife thrust in the belt; his feet were 
shod with straw sandals. This was the garb of a poor man, 
but thick heavy gold rings hung in his ears, and at least 
ten rings encircled with precious stones flashed on his 
fingers. His voice rang with self-esteem as he said : ^^You 
expected me?^^ 

^^Yes, lord, we were waiting thee,^’ answered the captain. 

^‘Where is the dog? Describe to me his cabin. I have 
no time to lose.’^ 

Ghost Number Three undertook this duty, and I left him 
performing it while I crawled hack to my quarters; as I 
looked back before dropping the matting curtain I saw the 
thief extinguish his lantern. The first thing I did, how- 
ever, was to light my lamp again, for I had no desire to go 
through the coming adventure in darkness. Then I took 
Abd el Barakas confession out of my wallet and hid it in my 
breast; the wallet, still bulging with papers, I put back in 
my breast-pocket. I lay down on my right side so that the 
light fell in m,y face, which was unpleasant, but I hoped it 
would at once convince the robber that I was asleep. I 
opened my coat, and let the left hand pocket containing 
the wallet show plainly and be easily taken, for the more I 
lessened the difficulty of the theft the more I lessened my 
own danger, for I knew I should be killed if there were 
any apparent likelihood of discovery. I thrust my two 
revolvers under my head, and kept my right hand on them 
under the pillow. Then I was all ready, and hoped I should 
not have to wait long. 

This wish was fulfilled; as I lay watching the matting 
through my eyelids I saw it move, and one corner was 
slowly, very slowly, lifted, two, three, five, six inches. The 
fellow peeped in, then softly and cautiously put his head 
under the opening. J breathed evenly as one in quiet 


32 


A BOATLOAD OF SCAMPS. 


slumber. He coughed, not loudly enough to awaken one 
who really slept, but enough to arouse a man who was doz- 
ing. Still I did not move, and convinced that I was not 
feigning slumber the juggler crawled into the cabin a 
shoulder and a limb at a time. He had laid aside his gar- 
ment and had oiled his body so that it would have been 
impossible to hold him in case of capture. Creeping up to 
my bedside he held the point of his knife at my breast, 
and began to draw the wallet from my pocket, but so slow- 
ly that I feared I should lose control of my nerves, and 
make a movement that would betray me. It took a quarter 
of an hour to accomplish the theft, but at last my wallet 
was in his hand, he withdrew the knife from my breast, 
and felt his prize with both hands. Satisfied that it was 
full of papers, he glided out of the cabin much more rap- 
idly than he had entered, and without the slightest rustle, 
fitting the matting after he had passed under it to assure 
nimself I had not moved. 

I waited at most but a minute, then blew out my light, 
seized the revolver in my left hand and rushed on deck. 
The three scoundrels, the captain, my beloved ghost, and 
the thief were huddled around the lantern in the shadow 
of a tobacco bale examining my wallet. The pilot sat over 
by the helm and as I pushed back the matting he saw me 
and cried : “The Efiendi, the Efiendi The thief straight- 
ened up and saw me, and, with the cry, “Game’s up this 
time,” he threw my wallet away, and the papers scattered 
in every direction, while he himself disappeared over the 
side in the darkness. The ex-ghost and the captain gath- 
ered up my papers, put them back in the wallet, and the 
latter was safely tucked away under the captain’s garment. 
I seized a torch, lighted it, and saw the form of the thief 
scrambling ashore. 

The captain grasped my arm, crying: “Efiendi, what 


A BOATLOAD OF SCAMPS. 


33 


lias come over you? Allah protect us! Are you possessed 
of a spirit?” 

'There seem to be spirits about, it is true. Here, for 
instance, is this man you detailed to ser^e me; he is a 
ghost,” I said. 

"I?” exclaimed the man. 

"Yes, you — Ghost Number Three.” 

"Ghost Number Three! Effendi, you are wandering in 
your mind; you have the fever.” 

"You are forgetful; I’ll help you remember. Ghost 
Number One I bound fast in my room; Ghost Number Two 
I knocked down, and bound also; Number Three I fol- 
lowed into the garden when he escaped after trying to stab 
me. If you don’t understand yet I’ll remind you that you 
told these men that you would bear the mark of my hand 
for many weeks.” 

He did not answer, but glanced at the others in silence. 
The captain, however, said reproachfully: "Effendi, I 
cannot imagine why you speak thus to this true, good man. 
I will ” 

"You have already, if you mean you will steal my papers 
and my wallet,” I interrupted. "Give them to me.” 

He drew himself up to his full height and said: "Ef- 
fendi, I am a Moslem and you are a Christian. Do you 
realize what that means in this land? Further, I am the 
captain, and you are my passenger; do you know what that 
means on board?” 

"And finally I am an honest man and you are a rascal,” 
I said. "And do you know the consequences of that? We 
are not in the Soudan, but here in Gizeh, where a few 
words from our consul have a power you have reason to 

fear. The 'muza’ bir’ has escaped ” 

Before I could say more the pilot broke out into lam- 
entation. "0, Allah, ia faza, ia hijaraher, he knows every- 


34 


A BOATLOAD OF SCAMPS. 


thing. He knows all we have said. I go, I fly, I’ll not 
stay here.” 

‘‘Yes/’ I said, “I do know all; I was not so stupid as you 
thought me. Now, who has the best of it, you followers of 
the Kadis, or I, the Christian? I laugh at you. I knew 
the ‘muza’ hir’ was coming, and I hid the paper you wanted. 
Here it is.” I held the paper before their eyes, and con- 
tinued: “You, captain, have stolen my wallet; give it 
back.” 

“I haven’t it.” 

“You say that with the nose of Ghost Number Three be- 
fore your eyes? Do you want to feel the weight of my 
hand? Hand it over, or I’ll take it from you.” 

I moved toward him, and he threw the wallet out, and 
made an attempt to throw it overboard. I was too quick 
for him; with a quick wrench I had it in my hand. He 
hesitated a moment, then doubled his flst, and would have 
struck me, but I raised my foot, and with a well-aimed kick 
sent him rolling, to the accompaniment of the pilot’s cries 
of “0 Allah, 0 captain, 0 woe, 0 misfortune.” 

I went over to the prostrate commander, who had rolled 
to the side of the boat, and was about to order him to sit 
up, when I saw three persons standing on the shore, who 
hailed us at that moment, and called: “Is not that the 
‘dahabijeh’ called the ‘Semek’?” 

“Yes,” I replied. 

“And are you a passenger?” 

“Yes.” 

“We wish to come on board/^ 


CHAPTER IV. 


THE REIS EFFENDINA ADMINISTERS JUSTICE. 

Who or what the strangers were who wished to hoard the 
“dahabijeh” I did not know, hut they could hardly make 
matters worse for me, and might better them. So when they 
expressed a desire to join us I threw out the gangplank, 
and bade them come. This brought the captain to his feet 
quicker than a glass of brandy could have done ; he rushed 
over to me and said in a low, fierce tone : ^ What are you 
doing? Who has the right of permitting people to board 
this ship, you or I?” 

^^Both,^^ I replied. 

'^ISTo, I alone. And these men, whose voices I recog- 
nize 

He stopped short, for the three came on deck that mo- 
ment. AYhen the pilot caught sight of them he slunk out 
of sight in the shadow, and disappeared, followed by the 
famous ghost. The captain would perhaps have been hap- 
pier at a longer range; in any case the arrival made him 
very uncomfortable, but as there was no way of escaping he 
remained where he was, laying his hands crossed on his 
breast and then touching his forehead, lips and breast with 
the right one, and bowing to the very ground, showing by 
the ceremony of his greeting that these were no ordinary 
people. 

The man who had hailed me was in the prime of life, 
strongly built, and, as far as I could see, richly clad. He 
wore full white trousers, with dark low shoes, a gold edged 
35 


36 THE REIS EFFENDINA ADMINISTERS JUSTICE. 


blue Jacket with a red silk shawl as sash, in which he car- 
ried a sabre and two gold and ivory inlaid pistols. A white 
silk mantle swung from his shoulders, and his turban was 
of the same material. His face was adorned with a beau- 
tiful, silky black beard, and his dark eyes rested on me with 
a sharp but kindly look. Without glancing at the captain, 
he said to me : ^^May Allah send you a peaceful night.” 

^^Hail to you,” I replied briefly but courteously. 

Turning sharply to the captain the newcomer said : ^^Do 
you know me?” 

^^The happiness of the sight of thy countenance has not 
fallen to my lot,” was the truly Oriental reply. 

‘Tt will not prove a happiness. Were there not two men 
here?” 

“My pilot and this passenger’s servant, Sijadetak; my 
sailors are all ashore.” 

“Why did those two disappear? Where are they? Gone 
down below to Join the rats? Bid them come up, if they 
don’t want to get the bastinado.” As he said this he 
pointed to one of his men at whose girdle hung a power- 
ful whip; he knew how to enforce obedience! The cap- 
tain had called him Sijadetak, a word equivalent to “your 
lordship,” and used only to men in high station. The cap- 
tain, evidently much alarmed, went to the hatchway and 
called his men, who reappeared trembling and pale beneath 
their dark skins burned by the Egyptian sun. 

In the meantime the newcomer had beckoned me aside, 
and sitting down with me on a bench by the helm asked me 
to tell him what I knew of the “dahabijeh’s” crew, and how 
I had been treated during my short trip. “You need not 
hesitate to speak frankly,” he said. “This man here is my 
pilot, and the one there with the whip is my favorite, my 
right hand, who does everything I require. Many a slave- 
dealer and slave-owner has learned by that whip on his 


THE REIS EFFENDINA ADMINISTERS JUSTICES! 

back that this hand of mine is quick, willing and strong. 
My motto is : ^Woe to him who does evil.^ ” 

^^Then yon prosecute slave-dealers?’^ I cried, delighted. 
^^Are you an officer?” 

he laughed. am and I am not. My name is 
Achmed Abd el lusaf; I am a captain, called the Eeis Ef- 
fendina.” 

Now that title meant ^^the captain of our lord,” and un- 
derstanding it I exclaimed in wonder: ^^Eeis Effendina! 
the captain of the Viceroy ! Then you must have a special 
commission !” 

have, and it is my duty to discover and pursue every 
malefactor against the law prohibiting slave-dealing. I 
have good reason for believing that this ffiahabijeh’ is en- 
gaged in this traffic in human beings, and was on the 
look out for it to search it.” 

“I have no reason to suspect that, bad as matters have 
been for me on board,” I said. 

do not believe she is carrying slaves now,” answered 
the Eeis, ,^ffiut I am sure she is arranged below deck for 
the transport of slaves, and is on her way to the Soudan 
for her cargo.” 

^^Then that will explain her captain’s connection with 
Abd el Barak,” I said, and beginning with my first glimpse 
of the little fig merchant, I told the Eeis Effendina all my 
adventures to the time of his coming on board. He heard 
me without a word or movement till I reached the point 
where I had spied upon and listened to the four men as 
they discussed my robbery and murder later. 

'Tardon me a moment,” he then said, and turning to 
his ^Tight hand” he ordered him : ^^Hasten to the ^Falcon’ 
and bring off ten men to take possession of this 'dahabijeh.’ 
I’ll make this gang meditate on the bliss of the seven 
heavens. And now, proceed, Effendi.” 


38 THE REIS EFFENDINA ADMINISTERS JUSTICE. 

I continued my tale, and just as it was ended the ^^fa- 
vorite,^^ the ^^right hand,^^ returned at the head of ten 
armed men, whom he stationed at different points on the 
boat, and then came to his master, saying: ^^Emir, as we 
came we saw a man hiding behind a tree, and watching 
the ^dahabijeh/ I tried to seize him, but he fled. If Allah 
has given me as good eyes as I think I have I could swear 
that it was the same man we saw before you came on 
board.’’ 

^^Ah, the pickpocket- juggler ! What a pity he escaped 
you. He knows now in whose hands the ^dahabijeh’ has 
fallen. But I shall be in Cairo to-morrow and will have 
him captured.” 

“If you find him,” I suggested. 

“Oh, I’ll find him ! I will arouse the entire police force, 
and they know his customary haunts. And now, Effendi, I 
know all you have to tell me, and I know further that you 
are a man whom I should have on ^Esch Schadin,’ my ship, 
which bears the name of the Talcon,’ because she flies like 
a hawk, and no vessel can approach her. Will you be my 
lieutenant?” 

“I am very grateful, but it is impossible; I am only a 
young American, trying his wings, and cannot take up any 
definite position abroad.” 

“Then you shall at least be the falcon’s’ honored guest 
up the Nile. And now come with me, while I deal with 
these scoundrels.” 

We went over by the mainmast, where the emir, as his 
“right hand” had called him, seated himself in what state 
circumstances permitted, beckoned his ten men to him, 
and they formed a circle around him, in the centre of which 
the captain of the “dahabijeh,” the tinted nosed ghost, 
and the pilot were led trembling. 

^W^hat is your name?” asked the emir of the ghost. 


THE RETS EFFENDINA ADMINISTERS JUSTICE. 39 

^^Barak/’ 

the same as your worthy Mokkadem! Yet you told 
ihis’Effendi it was Ben Schorak ! I warn you I will not be 
as patient as he. Did you play the ghost at Murad Nas- 
eyr’s?’’ 

^^ISTo.^^ 

^‘^Good! We will help your memory.” 

At a signal from the emir four men laid the liar down 
and held him, while the “right hand” used his right hand, 
bringing the great whip down on the soles of his feet till 
the wretch cried, “Stop. I did play ghost.” 

“I thought you would remember,” said the emir, with 
satisfaction. “Tell us who were your companions in the 
masquerade.” 

“The Mokkadem and his servant.” 

“That will do; stand over yonder.” 

The men let go, and helped him up with a kick that 
sent him flying. Then the emir turned to the captain and 
said angrily : “As to you, you are no slave or servant, but 
a believing Moslem, and a commander of a ^dahabijeh’; 
there can be no excuse for you.” 

The favorite evidently knew' what he was to do. Without 
waiting for a signal he asserted his dignity as whip bearer, 
and laid the bastinado over the rascal’s shoulder twice with 
such emphasis that he cringed under the pain. 

“Well done,” said the emir, very content with the zeal 
of his assistant. “Slave, servant, commander, Moslem or 
heathen are all alike before Allah and my whip. And now, 
most worthy captain, speak the truth. How long has this 
Barak been on the ship?” 

“Since this morning,” he answered sullenly. 

“Who brought him, and what was he here for?” 

“The Mokkadem. He was to serve the foreign Effendi.” 

“And kill him later?” 


40 THE REIS EFFENDINA ADMINISTERS JUSTICE, 


that I know nothing/^ 

yon, too, are forgetful, and must have the same 
medicine for your memory/^ 

The captain was laid on the deck and whipped, hut only 
twice, when he signified his readiness to answer. 

^^See how quickly the whip cures poor memory!’^ said 
the emir admiringly. “The crocodile’s skin opens the 
pores of the body and softens the hardest heart! Now, did 
you know the wallet was to be stolen, and the Effendi mur- 
dered later?” 

“Yes,” was the reply, after hesitation that called forth 
one more stroke. 

“I will not question you further, you disgust me,” said 
the emir. “You are a cowardly dog, with courage to sin 
but not to meet the consequences. Stand over by the mast. 
And now the pilot.” 

The poor wretch had been shaking like an aspen at the 
sight of the others’ punishment, and as he heard himself 
called fell on his knees clamoring: “0 Allah, 0 heaven, 
0 your highness! Don’t beat me; I will confess every- 
thing, everything,” 

“Emir,” I said to the Eeis Efiendina, “have compassion 
on him! He does not seem to be so bad. He had to obey 
his captain, and I heard nothing from him to condemn 
when I listened to their talk. He has been in a bad crowd ; 
that is all.” 

“He is right, the Efiendi is right ! Allah will bless him 
for these words,” stammered the frightened creature. 

“Very well, I will do as he suggests, and only ask you 
one question: Is the Effendi’s story of these events true?” 

“Yes, it is all true, every word.” 

“That will do. Get up and go into the cabin, nor move 
nor speak to these other men.” 

The man gladly went away. The emir arose, and taking 


THE REIS EFFENDINA ADMINISTERS JUSTICE. 41 

three of his men, including his "^right hand,^’ each carry- 
ing a lamp, went down into the hold, while the captain hit 
his lips, not only from the pain of his stripes, but because 
of the discovery about to be made. 

In the meantime I sought the pilot. ^^Did you know 
this was a slave-ship I whispered to him. 

slave-ship he stammered. ^^Who knows it?’’ 

^^The emir and his men.” 

^^0 me, 0 wretchedness, 0 ruin ! Allah, Allah ! My bones 
are melted and my soul trembles. I am overwhelmed in a 
sea of troubles. Who will take pity on me, and what hand 
will deliver me !” 

‘^Hush. Don’t make such a noise. You are sixty years 
old. Have you a family?” 

^^A son, and my wife in Gubatar.” 

^^Then flee to them, and stay there till this matter has 
blown over. Here is money. There is a little boat in tow 
at the stern; take it and escape, and hasten. I will engage 
the attention of the emir’s men till you are safe.” 

^^Yes, yes, Effendi ! Oh, what thanks can I ” 

^'Don’t talk, but act. Allah protect your flight and deliver 
you from such companions again.” 

^^Hever again will I do wrong. Effendi, no Moslem would 
have pitied me, but you, a Christian ” 

I heard no more, for I had already quitted him and be- 
gun talking to the sailors of the ^H'alcon,” in which they 
evidently took such pride that they were engrossed in their 
subject, and I felt sure the pilot would get off unseen. 

When the emir came back on deck his eyes blazed with 
anger; although he had expected to find the hold prepared 
for the reception of slaves, the actual sight of it made him 
furious. Going straight up to the captain he said: ^^You 
shall have the bastinado now in good earnest, and taste 
some of the suffering you have caused others. He who 


42 THE REIS EFFENDINA ADMINISTERS JUSTICE. 


robs men and deals in slaves can expect only death and 
eternal punishment/^ 

do not understand yon, emir. It is not jnst to 
threaten me with suffering, for I walk in ways of justice, 
and my paths are the paths of the virtuous, whom Allah 
loves,^^ replied the captain. 

^^Silence, dog,” thundered the emir. ^^If you do not un- 
derstand, I will take care that you at least feel my whip. 
Your wickedness is great, but your impudence exceeds it. 
Do you think I am blind? The Eeis Effendina can guess 
accurately the destination of this ship, and the purpose it 
was to serve. You will restore five hundred piasters to this 
Effendi for the passage-money he gave you, and in slight 
compensation for the crime you attempted against him. 
Bring the money at once.” 

The captain dared not disobey, and I reluctantly received 
two hundred piasters more than I had given him for my 
journey to Siout. But the Eeis Effendina insisted on this 
act of reparation, and I saw it was not a severe require- 
ment, considering the man’s intentions toward me. After 
this was done, however, he received a bastinading that 
made me pity him, though he was such a wretch, and then 
he was confined in irons to be taken back to Cairo. Certain 
of the “Falcon’s” crew were detailed to take the “dahabijeh” 
back, and the Eeis Effendina was obliged to go with them 
to see that his prisoners were brought to justice. He 
begged me to go as his guest on the “Falcon” to Siout, assur- 
ing me that it would wound him if I refused to do so, and I 
gladly accepted the kind offer, for I was anxious to press 
on to the Soudan, and was a srood deal put out by the fail- 
ure of my first attempt at getting there. My luggage was 
taken on board the “Falcon,” and my new friend gave me 
over to the' care of his lieutenant with many charges re- 
garding my comfort. Then he left me, with such ex- 


THE REIS EFFENDINA ADMINISTERS JUSTICE, 43 


pressions of good-will and liking as I was sure were not in- 
spired by Oriental exuberance of politeness and which I 
echoed sincerely. 

The morning was nearly dawning when I was installed 
on the ^Talcon/^ but I immediately turned in, for I was 
overcome with sleep after two nights without any. My 
pillow was fit for a pasha, and the soft-scented coverlids 
delicious. In ten minutes after I had gone to my cabin I 
was sleeping the sleep of security and weariness after my 
exciting adventures, and was only wakened at sunset of the 
next day by the voices of the sailors at evening prayer, as 
the ^Talcon” glided up the Nile. 


CHAPTER V. 


IN THE PALACE OF THE PASHA. 

A SAIL up the Nile! How full of interest are the very 
words ! El Kahireh, Cairo, the ^^Gate of the East/^ lies be- 
hind the traveller, and before him stretches the Soudan — 
Beled es Soudan, the ^^Land of the Blacks,” interesting 
even in those days before gallant Gordon had linked his 
name with it, and put an end to the infamous slave-trade. 
The Soudan was then the land of mystery ; going there one 
made a journey into the unknown. To-day one can go by 
rail from Cairo, the locomotive leaving its black trail of 
smoke over the sacred river, like a profanation. 

I prefer the deck of a ship to the stuffy railway car. Here 
one sits on his mat, or pillow, a pipe in his hand, and his 
fragrant coffee before him. The great Nile, more than 
two thousand feet wide, spreads out like a sea before him, 
apparently shoreless. The north wind fills the sails, the 
sailors squat about staring vacantly into space, or amusing 
themselves with childish games. The eyes of the traveller 
grow weary, they droop, and he dozes and dreams until he 
is aroused by the cry : ^^Come to prayer, ye faithful.” Then 
all the sailors kneel, bending toward Mecca and crying: 

confess there is no God hut God; I confess that Ma- 
homet is His Prophet.” Then they resume their play or 
sleep, and the night closes in. 

So the days passed peacefully for me, and at last we 
reached Siout, my destination. Two sailors carried my 
luggage ashore, the lieutenant accompanying to establish 
44 


IN THE PALACE OF THE PASHA. 


45 


me in comfortable lodgings. When I asked him where I 
was to lodge he replied : Where else than with the pasha? 
Such a man as you must be his guest only, and I was in- 
structed by the emir to introduce you into the palace in his 
name.^^ 

^^And you mean to say I shall be welcome?’’ 

^^Certainly; he will receive you as a friend.” 

I had to be content with this answer, but I would rather 
have gone to an inn, where I could have paid my reckoning 
and been independent. We entered an inner court from 
which several doors opened. In one of them stood a thick- 
set, shapeless negro, looking toward us forbiddingly. As 
soon as he recognized the emir’s lieutenant his expression 
changed; he bent his broad back, crossed his arms on his 
breast and said: ^Torgive me for standing here. Had I 
suspected your noble presence I would have come out to 
receive you.” 

Kude treatment frequently seems to call forth respect, 
which fact the lieutenant appreciated, for he answered 
sharply : ‘^See that you do not fail in your duty now that 
you know it is I. Conduct me to your lord, the pasha.” 

^Torgive me that I cannot do so; the exalted lawgiver 
has gone away for a week with many attendants.” 

I took the shapeless negro for a servant, perhaps an at- 
tendant of the women, since he was clad in silk, but I dis- 
covered my mistake by the lieutenant saying: “Then I 
will explain to you my desire, which you, as his steward, 
will carry out. This gentleman is a learned and famous 
Effendi from the New World, from America, who will 
spend a few days in Siout. I meant to ask the pasha to re- 
ceive him as his guest, but since he is away I will request 
you to take care of him as if he were one of your lord’s kin- 
dred.” 

So the negro occupied the important post of steward! 


46 


IN THE PALACE OF THE PASHA. 


He surveyed me with an unfriendly look, hut replied : ^^It 
shall be as you desire, sir. I will conduct the stranger to 
an apartment worthy of his rank.” 

^^Good!” said the lieutenant. Then turning to me v/ith 
his hand outstretched he added : ‘^And now farewell. Here 
is an address in Khartum through which you can communi- 
cate with the Eeis Ejffendina. May Allah bless you, and 
grant us a happy meeting in the future.” 

He departed, and the steward conducted me to a great 
room, its blue walls adorned with texts from the Koran in 
golden letters, which he signified was to be mine, and left 
me without a word. 

For fully an hour I sat on a cushion and smoked before 
any one came near me. Then the steward returned; he 
stood looking down on me with positive dislike. ^^How 
long have you known the Eeis Etfendina?” he asked at last, 

^^Only a little while,” I replied. 

‘^Yet he sends you here to the palace of the pasha? Are 
you a Moslem?” 

^^Ko; I am a Christian.” 

Allah, Allah! A Christian, and I have given you a 
room with its walls covered with golden texts from the 
Koran! What a sin I have committed! You must leave 
this apartment, and follow me to another where your pres- 
ence will not outrage the sanctity of our faith.” 

will leave this room, but not to go into another. It 
is you who disgrace Islam, which teaches hospitality to 
guests. I will send a servant after my luggage, and here 
is backsheesh for the trouble I have given you.” I rose, 
gave him an abundant ^Tip” and quitted the room without 
any attempt on his part to detain me. As I came into the 
court I heard wailing; a door on the left opened, and two 
servants came forth, bearing a young man bleeding from a 
wound in his fordhead. Some other persons followed, and 


IN THE PALACE OF THE PASHA. 


47 


behind them a disheveled woman imploring for a surgeon. 
As the group approached me I asked what had happened. 
A well-dressed man of about sixty years replied: ‘^His 
horse threw him against the wall, and now his life is fleeing 
through his brow. Eun, run, and fetch a fliaggahm’; per- 
haps help is still possible.” 

He started to carry out his own desire, but I laid a de- 
taining hand on his arm' and said: Ht may not be nec- 
essary to fetch a surgeon; I will examine him.” 

He seized both my hands, crying: ^^You are a surgeon? 
Come, come; hasten. If you save my son I will give you 
ten times what you ask.” He pulled me along toward the 
door through which the -bearers had disappeared, and I 
saw the youth lying on a divan, beside which the woman 
knelt wailing. 

^^Here is a surgeon,” said the father, going over to her 
and taking both her hands. ^Terhaps Allah will restore 
him.” 

I, too, knelt by the young man and examined his wound; 
it was not dangerous, though he was still unconscious. I 
had a little flask of sal volatile in my pocket, which I 
opened, and held to his nose. Its effect was instantaneous ; 
the patient moved, sneezed and opened his eyes. Immedi- 
ately the mother had him in her arms, weeping aloud for 
joy. But his father folded his hands saying: ^^Allah be 
thanked ! Death has flown and life returns.” 

‘^^Life returns, Allah il Allah,” echoed all the others. 

^"How shall we repay you, Effendi?” cried the father. 
"'Without you the soul of my son had never found its way 
back into his body.” 

"You are mistaken; your son would have wakened five 
minutes later, that is all.” 

"Ho, no; I know better. I have never seen you; are you 
a stranger?” 


48 


IN THE PALACE OF THE PASHA. 


arrived here to-day and shall only stay a few days/^ 

^Then stay with ns, Effendi; be onr guest.” 

cannot accept your offer. You do not know who or 
what I am. I am a Christian.” 

^^That does not matter; you are my son’s deliverer. The 
flask of life in your hands saved my son. I beg you stay 
with us. I will speak to the steward, who will give you the 
best room in the palace, and be grateful if you will help 
him, for he, too, is ill, suffering horribly in the stomach.” 

'T think you are mistaken, for he has just dismissed me 
from the house,” I said. 

Y ou ! Impossible ! ” 

'Tt is not only possible, but actually so. I was sent 
here to be the pasha’s guest by the Eeis Effendina, Achmed 
Abd el lusaf.” 

^^By him? Oh, the steward hates him, because he treats 
him rudely. Had any one else sent you the steward would 
have behaved quite differently. Forgive me if I am too in- 
sistent, but I beg you to honor my dwelling by your pres- 
ence.” 

He said this in such a tone that I felt it would insult 
him to insist on going to an inn, and when his son wailed : 
^^Effendi, stay here! My head is in agony, and you will 
help me if it gets worse,” and the wife raised her clasped 
hands imploringly, I yielded. 

^^Very well, I will stay,” I said, ^hf you are sure it will 
not incommode you to have a guest.” 

^^Ah, no,” replied the man. am not poor; I am the 
Emir Achor, the pasha’s Master of Horse. Let me show 
you to your apartment, and you,” he added to his servants, 
^'hasten to the steward and fetch the Effendi’s luggage.” 

When I was most comfortably established in my new 
quarters the Master of Horse said to me: ^^Effendi, we 
must tell the steward what a great physician you are. When 


IN THE PALACE OF THE PASHA. 


49 


he hears that you have an elixir of life in your pocket he 
will repent his rudeness to you, and beg you to help him. 
Our own physician had told him he was in danger of his 
life, and it may he that Allah has sent you as the only one 
who can save him.^^ 

‘‘Very well, hid him come here.’’ I had not long to wait 
after giving this permission before the shapeless figure of 
the steward rolled in, and I really pitied him when I saw 
his downcast face. 

“Effendi, forgive me,” he said. “Had I guessed that 
such a 

“Say no more,” I interrupted him. “I have nothing to 
forgive. The Eeis Effendina’s manner to you in the past 
and his lieutenant’s yesterday was the cause of the mis- 
take.” 

“You are very good. May I sit down?” 

“I heg you do so.” 

He took his place opposite me, and as I looked at him 
closely he said: “You mistake, Effendi, if you think I am 
well. Elesh is not health.” 

“Ho, indeed,” I said. “The physicians of the west know 
the fatter a man is often the nearer death he is. Tell me 
your symptoms.” 

“I have dreadful suffering here,” he said, laying his hand 
on his stomach. “I feel as though I had no body, and 
chiefly before meal-time, so that 1 have to eat at once.” 

“Oh, that is very had, very had indeed,” I said gravely. 

“Is it a fatal trouble?” he asked, turning pale, I am sure, 
only he was too black to show it. 

“Surely fatal, unless help is found,” I replied. 

“And what is the name of the disease?” whimpered the 
frightened fellow. 

“In English we call it hunger, or gigantic appetite; it 
does not matter about the Turkish word.” 


50 IN THE PALACE OF THE PASHA, 

^^And can yon save me? I am the pasha’s steward, and 
have gold in abundance. Cure me, and I will give yon a 
fortune.” 

^^What did your own physician order?” 

^Tasting. He said my stomach was weak.” 

^^The deuce! I say just the contrary. We doctors call 
your disease a rhinoceros stomach, or an alligator stomach. 
Eat, I say, eat much, only before each meal you must how 
nine times toward Mecca, so profoundly that your head 
touches the floor.” 
can’t.” 

^^You must; try it.” 

He rose obediently, and made the attempt; a wonderful 
sight to see. Failing he went on all fours, lost his balance 
and rolled over, but rising quickly he went at it again, and 
finally succeeded in bringing his forehead to the rug. It 
was a question whether his dull contortions or profound 
gravity was funnier. can, I can,” he panted, pulling 
himself up, ‘^^hut I must do it alone, or else the servants 
will lose regard for my dignity. What else, Eflendi?” 

^^You are rich; make an act of thanksgiving every day 
by giving two piasters to fifty of the wretched blind chil- 
dren who set by the wayside begging in this town.” 

will do it, for I am sure you are a great physician. 
And you say I may eat, eat! 0 Mahomet, 0 great caliphs! 
This is a physician to whom all my heart goes out. May I 
go now .and eat, Effendi?” 

^^Certainly, hut do not forget the genuflections nor the 
almsgiving.” 

“You are a Christian, but I hope the gates of paradise 
may open for you,” said the big black starvling, departing. 

The Master of Horse had listened and watched this scene 
soberly, but as the sufferer disappeared he laughed softly, 
and said: “Effendi, you are not only a skilful physician, 


IN THE PALACE OF THE PASHA. 51 

but a good man, for you have provided for the poor and 
blind.” 

We said good night, and I had made two friends in the 
palace of the pasha. 

The next morning I went out alone for a walk, and as I 
wandered along the crooked streets I came to the plastered 
grave of a sheik, from which a bridge ran over the canal. 
As I started to cross it I stopped short in amazement. I 
saw a very long and very slender white-clad figure, sur- 
mounted by an immense turban, coming toward me with a 
swinging, swaggering gait. Could I be seeing straight? It 
certainly looked like Murad Nassyr's spindlelegged stew- 
ard in Cairo. He saw me, and stopped also. 

“Selim, is it really you?” I cried. 

“Eight, very right,” he answered in his old way, in the 
same thin, querulous voice, making me one of his neck- 
breaking salaams. “And, Effendi, is it you? Allah be 
thanked, for I seek you.” 

“Seek me! I thought you were with Murad Hassyr in 
Cairo,” I said. “What has happened that he has come to 
Siout?” • 

“He is not here; I have come only to seek you, for my 
master did not wish you to be here alone.” 

“Does Murad Hassyr think I am afraid?” 

“Ho, not that, but in any case it is better for me to be 
with you. I was the most renowned warrior of my tribe, 
and, as you know, considered the greatest hero in the uni- 
verse 

^ “Except in the case of ghosts,” I suggested. 

- “Jest not, Effendi; no man can fight with knives and 
pistols against a spirit; prayer is the only weapon then.” 

^ “Even when you know it is a man and no ghost you pre- 
fer it,” I remarked. “However, I fear you will weary in 
^Siout, where you will have nothing to do.” 


52 


IN THE PALACE OF THE PASHA, 


^‘Nothing to do! Why, I shall protect you; I dare not 
leave you a moment, for Murad i^assyr has ordered me to 
guard you.” 

^^Ah, that is true; I hadn’t thought how busy you would 
be protecting me,” I said. ^‘Well, come with me, and I 
will see whether they will receive you also in the palace of 
the pasha where I am lodged.” 

^^Of course they will, for unfortunately you are an un- 
believer, while I am a faithful Moslem, and you do not 
know that Islam commands hospitality toward each other 
among its followers. They will he glad to have me with 
them, furthermore, when they learn my renown and cour- 
age.” 

^^Which you will tell them. Possibly, but let us make 
sure. Let us go at once to the palace and inform the Mas- 
ter of Horse that you have arrived.” 

“Right, very right! I follow in the print of your feet. 
Let us go.” 

And richer by a servant, or a guardian, I was not sure 
which, I returned to the palace, followed by Selim, like 
Don Quixote with Sancho Panza, only my squire was far 
from round or jolly. 


CHAPTER VI. 


THE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES OF AN ECLIPSE. 

Selim was received with the kindness he confidently ex- 
pected, whether as the greatest warrior in the world or on 
general principles of hospitality we would not have agreed, 
nor did it matter. I was not overjoyed at the prospect of 
having this long personage always at my side, hut there 
was no way of getting rid of him without offending Murad 
Nassyr, who had befriended me, so I resolved to put up 
with him, and get what amusement I could from his 
foibles. 

We had just finished supping that night when a great 
hubbub arose outside in the court, and we rushed out, think- 
ing some accident had befallen one of the household. There 
stood the grooms and other servants staring up at the sky 
and crying: ^^An eclipse, an eclipse!” 

It was true; the moon was growing dark; the shadow of 
the earth was creeping higher and higher over the face of 
our satellite, then at its full. It was, as it always is, a most 
interesting spectacle, but the Turks were overcome with 
terror. The big steward cowered before it, and behind 
him crouched my long Selim. 

^^Effendi,” cried the former, as he caught sight of me, 
‘^do you see that the moon is disappearing? Tell me what 
that betokens.” 

^Tt betokens that the earth is passing between the sun 
and the moon, and we see its shadow on her face, which 
thus is darkened,” I said. 


53 


54 SERIO US CONSEQ UENCES OF AN ECLIPSE. 

^‘Between the sun and the moon? The earth’s shadow? 
Have you seen it before?” 

‘‘Yes, indeed.” 

“Effendi, you are the fountain of wisdom, and the ocean 
of knowledge, but you know nothing of the sun, the moon 
and the stars, absolutely nothing. Do you know that it is 
the devil who darkens the moon?” 

“Indeed! What does he do that for?” 

“To announce to us misfortune. This is a sign of calam- 
ity for the ^tire world, and for me in particular.” 

“For you ! And what have you to do with an eclipse of 
the moon?” 

“Very, very much. Do you see this amulet on my 
neck? I wear that to protect me against eclipses.” 

“An eclipse is a perfectly natural event, but if it were 
not an amulet could not protect you.” 

“You say that because you are a Christian, and not a 
Moslem. What can a Christian know of the moon? Isn’t 
the sign of Christianity a cross?” 

“Certainly.” 

“But the sign of Islam is the crescent, the new moon, so 
we must understand the moon better than you. You see 
that clearly, do you not?” 

“No,” I said, feeling, as I answered this absurd argu- 
ment with an equally foolish one, as if I were taldng part 
in one of the discussions in “Alice in Wonderland”; “no, I 
see nothing of the kind, for your symbol is the crescent 
moon, and does not help you to understand the moon when 
at its full. Besides, even the new moon was not the origin 
of the symbol of Islam, but Mahomet’s curved scimitar. 
When your Prophet led the first great battle in the month 
of Eamadan, in the second year of the hegira, he stuck 
his scimitar into a staff and had it carried as a standard. It 
led them to victory, and was adopted as the battle standard 


SERIO US CONSEQ UENCES OF AN ECLIPSE. 5 5 
. 

lienceforth. From that time the curved scimitar, changed 
into the crescent, has been the universal symbol of Islam.” 

The steward stared at me open-mouthed, and as I ceased 
speaking cried: ‘‘Effendi, Effendi, you know all the se- 
crets of history, and the mysteries of all religions. But 
still I know that the eclipse betokens misfortune to me.” 
Saying which he waddled away, for the shadow was passing 
from the face of the moon, and he had regained the use of 
his feet. So quite unmoved in his own opinion, like most 
of us, however much impressed by the learning of others, 
the big fellow went to rest in the melancholy certainty of 
coming ills, announced to him personally by a veil hung 
over the earth's satellite. 

The next morning it was arranged that the Master of 
Horse was to show me the place where the famous croco- 
dile mummies of Maabdah were buried, for the ancient 
Egyptians preserved not only human bodies, but those of 
such animals as they held sacred. Of these the crocodile 
is one, the inhabitant of the Nile, the sacred river, and I 
was anxious to see the place of its burial. The party was 
to consist of the Master of Horse, the big steward and Se- 
lim, who insisted on going to take care of me, although I 
assured him it was not necessary. 

^^Effendi,” he said solemnly, ‘T am the greatest warrior 
and rider of my tribe, while you are a European, or as 
bad, whom I have never seen on a horse. If you break 
your neck, I am responsible, therefore I must keep by 
your side, and not take my eye off you.” 

Consequently, he went with us, and as my neck is not 
broken, I suppose it is owing to his presence. We rode in 
a southerly direction, for the Master of Horse wished first 
to show me ^Tell es Sirr,” which means the ^^Mount of 
Mystery,” and which he believed to be the mouth of hell. 
^ ^^How is it supposed to have been discovered that this 


5 6 SERIO US CONSEQ UENCES OF AN EC LIPSE. 


place is the gate of hell?’" I asked, when we drew np before 
the elevation which looked like a small hillock of sand, yet 
bore this awful name. 

“I do not know,” replied the Master of Horse. ^^It has 
been handed down from one to another. You are the Son 
of Wisdom, who has delivered my son by your flask of life, 
and who desires to study everything interesting, so I have 
called your attention to this place in the desert.” 

‘Y thank you, and will ride to the brow of the hill,” I 
replied. 

"Ho, Eflendi, don’t do that,” he cried. "If Sheitan 
[Satan] is here he will thrust his claws out of the ground 
and pull you down. Many have disappeared on this place 
and never been seen again.” 

"Very likely, but Satan didn’t pull them down. Doubtless 
there are holes about, which the sand covers. The wind 
blows from the west in the desert, and the sand is per- 
petually in motion toward the east.” ^ 

"That is my own opinion, but we are followers of the 
Prophet, and guard ourselves from danger of the devil. If 
you will go up, please excuse us from accompanying you; 
we will wait below.” _ 

I agreed readily to this request, and went up alone. The 
hill was at most but flfty ells high, and there was abso- 
lutely nothing interesting about it. All around and under 
me was sand, nothing but sand to be seen in all directions. 
What could have given rise to the absurd legend that this 
was the mouth of hell? There were many burial-places 
around Siout; perhaps some here had been opened and 
had swallowed up investigators, and hence the legend. 

I looked down at my comrades, near the foot of the hill. 
Selim and the steward had mounted and were trying feats 
of horsemanship, apparently proving which was the better 
rider. I was interested to see how the big man would come 


SERIO US CONSEQ UENCES OF AN ECLIPSE, 5 7 

out. He let his horse run a few feet, and turned him, try- 
ing to make him rear. The animal was too heavily bur- 
dened to feel disposed to unnecessary exertion, and stamped 
angrily. I saw his forefeet sink. He pulled them up with a 
mighty leap of fright, the big negro was thrown, and disap- 
peared! I could see all this plainly, and now I heard the 
other two howling in terror. 

I ran down, and when I came near enough the Master 
of Horse cried : '^You see? I was right, Effendi ! This is 
the gate of hell, and the steward has gone down. It was 
yesterday^s eclipse.^^ 

‘^Eight, very righV^ agreed Selim. ^^How he is in hell, 
and will suffer for eternity.” 

^^Nonsense!” I cried. ^^He has fallen into a hole, which 
the horse broke open by stamping. If it isn’t too deep we 
will pull him out.” 

‘Tt is a hole that opens straight into the fires of hell. 
The steward is lost ; we shall never see him again in body or 
spirit,” said the Master of Horse, apparently very sure of 
his claim on paradise. 

‘T am not going to look for his ghost. Come over to 
the hole and see how deep it is.” 

Allah protect me I I am a faithful son of the Prophet, 
and will keep away from the gate of hell.” 

‘^Eight, very right,” assented Selim in his snarling voice. 

Allah protect me from the evil society of Sheitan.” 

‘^Silence!” I said, angrily. ‘'You, the hero of your tribe, 
afraid of a hole in the ground! If there were fire under 
here you would see smoke; you are making yourself ridicu- 
lous.” 

My inspiration for the restoration of their courage was 
nearly successful, but Selim had a bright thought of his 
own, and said: “Back, back, Effendi; in a moment you, 
too, will be seized. This may be that part of hell in which 


$8 SERIO US CONSEQ UENCES OF AN ECLIPSE. 


souls of unbelievers freeze in eternal ice, which would ac- 
count for there being no smoke. No, we will go home, and 
praise Allah that we are not gone down.^^ 

He went over to his horse, but I turned on him with re- 
volver drawn, saying : ^^By your Prophet and all your ca- 
liphs I will shoot the man who dares mount. You shall 
try to save this man. Take the bridles and reins off the 
horses, fasten them together. I will ask you to do nothing 
but hold the line, which shall be fastened to my belt, while 
I go down the hole.” 

My two companions agreed to this slight effort in behalf 
of the unfortunate steward, and when all was ready, they 
held one end of the long leather strap formed by joining 
our bridles, while, with the other made fast to my waist, I 
crept to the edge of the hole. The sand filled it part 
way, and out of it rose the head and breast of the steward, 
his hands folded and eyes closed, but not dead, for I heard 
him groan. Leaning over I called to him; a groan was 
the only reply. I called again, and this time he answered 
in a trembling voice : '^Here I am, Azrael.” He took me 
for the angel of death ! 

^^Open your eyes and look at me,” I laughed. . 

'T canT; I am dead.” 

^‘Well, the dead can see. Look up high.”^ 

He did so and saw me. /Ts it you, Effendi?^ Then fam 
not only dead, but in hell,” he groaned. ' 

^^How do you know?”^ 

‘^Because no Christian could be in heaven. Since you are 
here we must be lost.” 

This was not flattering, but none the less funny. Still, 
with his mind abandoned to despair, how could I get him 
to help himself? I resolved to have recourse to his pre- 
dominant passion, and said: ^‘You may think you’re in 
hell, but I call it only a hole, and if you would try and 


SERIO US CONSEQ UENCES OF AN ECLIPSE. 59 


climb out we would ride home and have dinner; I am 
hungry/" 

too/" he shouted, as if electrified, his whole face il- 
lumined. ^^I"m hungry if I"m not dead."" 

^^Don"t worry,"" I said, '^you are alive. Can you climb?"" 

“No; do you think I am a cat?"" 

I did not, nor would it have been polite to have told 
him what animal he did resemble, sitting there with his 
fat face thrown back on his shoulders. It makes all the dif- 
ference to which animal a man is likened! 

“Then I"ll come down,"" I said, and did so. I fastened 
the strap around the steward"s body, and then he rose, 
spread his feet far apart, and I slid sitting into the spot 
where he had sat. The men above pulled, I “boosted,"" 
slowly and carefully lest the sand give way again, bracing 
hands and arms against the walls of the old grave into 
which he had fallen. I had to bear most of the weight of 
the heavy man, and it was no easy task, but at last it was 
done, the big fellow was on solid ground, the strap thrown 
down to me, and I was pulled and climbed up after him. 
I found him examining his body, to see if it were all there 
[apparently, then he turned toward Mecca and repeated 
[certaii texts of the Koran in thanksgiving for delivery, 
'^nd finally overwhelmed me with gratitude. 

“Effendi,"" remarked Selim, “did you notice how I held 
tfie strap when others would have dropped it? You have 
to thank me that you saw the light of day again. I hope 
you are convinced that I am a strong protector, and full 
of courage."" 

“I certainly am convinced,"" I said, laughing. 

We rode on again, too weary from our adventure to feel 
like investigating the burial-places for which we had set 
out, yet reluctant to abandon the object of our setting 
forth. We passed through the village and came to the foot 


6o SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES OF AN ECLIPSE. 

of a steep hill from which the desert stretched toward the 
Bed Sea. There, on the steps of the vaulted grave of a 
fakir knelt a man. As he heard us approach he turned his 
head toward us, and we saw that he had a fine, venerable 
face surmounted by a snow-white beard. We had taken a 
guide in the village to show us through the tomb, who, 
when he caught sight of this patriarch, bowed low, his 
hands crossed on his breast and said: ^^Allah bless thee, 
and send thee grace and life, 0 Mukaddas V* A term which 
is nearly equivalent to our word saint. 

The old man arose, glanced at us sharply and replied: 

thank thee, my son ! May thy path lead to the eternal 
dwelling of the Prophet. Thou art going into the tomb?” 

^^Yes, I will show it to this stranger.” 

^^Do so, and learn how worthless are all early things. 
Though man builds a dwelling that shall stand a thousand 
years for his body, yet it is destroyed, and earth comes to 
earth, dust to dust.” Then, looking at me, he added: 
^'What face is this? What thoughts dwell behind that 
forehead? I could foretell thy future, for the gift of 
prophecy is mine. Do you believe that Allah gives knowl- 
edge of the future to them who are near death?” 

^^God alone knows the future,” I replied. 

^^He knows it, but sometimes He reveals it to His faith- 
ful. I will prove it. That you may believe I know the 
future I will speak of the past. You wear the garments 
and use the language of the Moslem, but you are a Chris- 
tian.” He paused, and I nodded assent. ^There are many 
Christian lands, but I see one which spreads from ocean 
to ocean, where there is no king, for every man is king, 
and all are free. You rejoice in being a son of this land.” 
Again he paused, and again I nodded. He continued : ‘T 
see a ship with many sails, her captain is a sword of justice, 
and you are his friend. He will make many men happy and 


SERIO US CONSEQ UENCES OF AN ECLIPSE, 6 1 


win honor and glory; do yon know snch a man?” Think- 
ing of the Reis Effendina I nodded. have told yon the 
trnth, and conld also tell yon the fntnre. Bnt yon have 
donhted, so I will he silent, and only warn yon to beware 
of a great misfortnne, perhaps death. My sonl’s eye sees 
a son of revenge pnrsning yon to take yonr life. Once he 
almost sncceeded, bnt Allah protected yon. If yon wonld 
escape him jonrney no fnrther now. It is fnll moon; stay 
where yon are nntil the next qnarter. This is what I wonld 
tell yon. Believe me, or believe me not, I care not, bnt 
according as yon decide will yon he fortnnate or nnfor- 
tnnate. Allah inspire yon.” He tnrned and went hack to 
prayer at the steps, while I followed the others into the 
tomb. 

Instead of being impressed by this old man’s words, I 
felt a very strong snspicion that his knowledge was not de- 
rived from any power of prophecy, bnt from earthly, not 
to say nnworthy, sonrces. It seemed ontrageons to donbt 
snch a venerable-looking old patriarch, bnt I remembered 
the words of the dear old Jesnit president of my college, 
who nsed to say yon conld not tell a saint from a sinner 
coming down the street. 

For the two honrs which I spent in the great tomb of 
the Egyptians, wandering throngh the dnst of those who 
had, perhaps, seen Moses, my mind was more filled with 
the thonght of my little life than the great dead. I felt 
convinced that the warning he had given me was rather a 
veiled threat, and snspected him of dealings with Abd el 
Barak, and possibly the ^^mnza’bir,” whom the Reis Effen- 
dina might have failed to captnre. 

When we came ont of the tomb the old man was still at 
the entrance. Coming up to me he said: have read 

in your face your nobility of soul; I know that I can trust 
you, and I see the danger threatening you ; for these rea- 


6 2 SERIO US CONSEQ UENCES OF AN ECLIPSE, 


sons you interest me. There is a secret known to me which 
I have never shared with any man. I will tell it to you, 
only making the condition that you will not reveal it be- 
fore my death.” 

^^And then is it to be revealed?” 

^'Yes, then, hut not before. I know a tomb of the most 
ancient kings of Egypt, which no eye but mine has looked 
upon. I will take you there, and lead you into it, and you 
shall see the mummies of the twelfth dynasty sitting wait- 
ing for the Last Day, if you will go.” 

‘^Certainly I will; it would be a great favor,” I replied. 
^^When will you do this strangely kind act for me, a 
stranger?” 

^^To-morrow; if you will meet me at the northern gate 
of the town four hours after sunrise I will reveal to you 
the secret of the Pharaos.” 

will be there, and thank you for your great kind- 
ness,” I said. 

^^Heaven guard you, and avert the dangers threatening 
you,” responded the patriarch. 

I was fully resolved to seek this new adventure, though 
I suspected it concealed danger. But I hoped that it might 
lead to the capture of the ‘^most renowned pickpocket in 
Egypt,” whom I felt sure was in some way mixed up with 
this venerable fakir. 


CHAPTEE VII. 


IN THE TOMB OF THE PHARAOS. 

As soon as I had breakfasted I went over to the stew- 
ard’s apartment, where Selim was lodged, to fetch my long 
'^protector,” for he only I determined should go with me to 
the tomb which the fakir had promised to show me. I 
found the portly negro none the worse for his experience 
of the day before, hut very anxious as to my proposed ex- 
pedition, in regard to which Selim had hinted vague dan- 
gers, adding he was under a solemn oath not to reveal its 
destination or purpose. 

^^Have no fear,” I said. ^‘Nothing will befall us.” 

^^You think so, because you have no faith in the portent 
of the eclipse. Give it up, I beg you, Effendi,” said the 
unwieldy creature with affectionate anxiety. 

^‘Don’t urge me, for I can’t. I have given my word that 
I will go, and I must keep it.” 

‘‘Then at least leave Selim here.” 

“What? I stay here!” cried that hero, before I could 
speak. “I, the protector and guardian of the Effendi, let 
him go alone? No, I cannot fail in my duty; I will ac- 
company him through all the dangers on earth or sea. I 
will fight for him with dragons, serpents and scorpions. I 
am ready to annihilate lions and panthers 

“But just now you have only to hold your tongue,” I in- 
terrupted. “There is no question of serpents, or lions, or 
panthers. Therefore, you must leave your gun here, and 
take only your knife,” 


63 


64 


IN THE TOMB OF THE PHARAOS, 


we do not know yet where we are going! Maybe 
we shall go into the desert, near the den of a lion, and ’’ 

^^Nonsense! No lion will hurt yon; he would not get a 
chance, for as soon as you saw him you would run away 
so fast he could not catch you,” I laughed. 

^^Effendi, what an opinion you have of the truest of all 
your friends!” he said, reproachfully. am Selim, your 
protector, and would stand and fight for you if all the 
men and all the wild beasts in the world attacked you. You 
misunderstand me, therefore I pray that Allah will send 
us danger, great danger, in which I can prove what heroic 
things I would do for you.” He stuck his knife in his belt 
as he spoke, took three torches and a strong rope and we 
started. 

The fakir had sent a hoy to fetch me, instead of letting 
me come alone to meet him, and this hoy was waiting out- 
side. He led us at a rapid pace over the ground, and 
when he came to a slight elevation beyond the village he 
paused, and pointing to a distant rock, said: ^^Yonder hy 
that ancient grave the fakir waits thee in prayer.” 

I started to take out the backsheesh I meant to give him, 
hut he spit at me, and, crying : ^Tveep your piaster. How 
could I soil my hands with the gold of an unbeliever?” ran 
away. 

Considering the clamor for backsheesh from Christian 
travellers all over Egypt this was unexpected, but the boy 
was gone, and without stopping to consider his behavior, 
we hastened on to the tomb. The fakir heard us com- 
ing and turned toward us. Extending his hand he said: 

Welcome, Effendi! Allah illumine thy steps to the goal 
of joy and blessedness. Thou hast kept thy word, and I 
will keep mine. Thou shalt see the ancient kings, sleeping 
with their wives, daughters and kindred about them. Fol- 
low me.” 


IN THE TOMB OF THE PHARAOS, 


^5 


We proceeded directly out toward the desert, the fakir 
taking such long strides that 1 had to make an effort to 
keep up with him. We thus very quickly reached the hill 
where we had been yesterday, and the hole from which 
the steward had escaped. Falling behind a moment to 
Selim, whose long legs had failed to keep up the pace, I 
warned him not to speak of having been there before, and 
had only succeeded in doing so when the fakir turned to 
me, saying : ^'Here is the entrance to the tomh.^’ 

^^Here I exclaimed. “Surely there are no rocky tombs 
here.’^ 

“Who has mentioned rocky tombs? This is the entrance 
to a subterranean passage to the tomb. The opening is 
concealed. Follow me.” 

We started up the hill, but I stopped him. There was a 
smooth ti.iCk ahead of us, as if a cloth had been dragged 
up to hide footprints. 

“Some one has been here before us,” I said, “a garment 
has been dragged along to wipe out the footprints. That 
looks suspicious.” 

“Does it?” laughed the fakir. “]^ot to me; for I came 
here to see if it was all right this morning early.” 

“But it looks to me as if several feet has passed this way.” 

“0 Mahomet! Who could tell the difference between 
one man’s steps, or many, in this sand?” 

“I could, for I have lived with the red men, whose life 
depends on their ability to read in such things the number 
of their foes.” 

“There is no question here of foes. I went up and down 
twice, that is why you see the prints of two men’s feet. Do 
you think I would betray my secret to any one?” 

Feeling half ashamed of my unfounded suspicions I 
started up the hill. When we reached the top the patriarch 
paused, scanned the horizon carefully, then said: “There 


66 


IN THE TOMB OF THE PHARAOS. 


is no one in sight; we shall not be discovered,” and stoop- 
ing down began to dig away the sand, which was very light. 
I had thrown my suspicions to the winds, and was all ea- 
gerness for the adventure, and even Selim showed no signs 
of cowardice. 

We helped the old man clear away the sand, and saw at 
the bottom of a hole perhaps three feet deep a flat stone, 
which we pried up. We then saw before us a passage, its 
sides bricked, and just wide enough to allow a man to crawl 
through. 

^^This is the entrance,” said the fakir, once more scan- 
ning the horizon for a possible observer. ^‘Who will crawl 
in first?” 

'^You, of course, since you know the way,” I replied, and 
he immediately complied. After we had proceeded perhaps 
eighteen feet I felt the passage widen, and the fakir or- 
dered us to light a torch. I complied, and found ourselves 
in a small chamber, in the corner of which was an opening 
which seemed to dive straight into the earth, high enough 
for a man to stand upright. ^^We must descend this shaft,” 
said the fakir. 

^^Down there!” growled Selim. ^^Are there stairs?” 

^‘^Where were these mummies’ wits? Couldn’t they have 
provided us with stairs to visit them, or at least a ladder?” 
said this queer person. ^‘Must I risk breaking all my arms 
and legs?” 

‘^Not at all; one would think you were a centipede, Se- 
lim,” I replied. ^^There is doubtless a way of getting 
down.” 

^^There are square footholds in the sides of the shaft, 
where the feet are set,” said the fakir. ‘They are not two 
feet apart and make a perfectly safe stairway.” 

“What sort of air is there down below?” I asked.. 


IN THE TOMB OF THE PHARAOS. 


67 


^^Quite as good as here; there must he air holes which I 
have not discovered. Perhaps your keen eyes will find 
them.^^ The fakir said this in his usual tone, yet with a 
slight emphasis, which I remembered later, and realized his 
irony. 

^‘Who will go first?” he asked again. 

If he had any idea of betraying us it could only he pre- 
vented by keeping between him and the opening, so again 
I replied he should precede, being our leader. So the fa- 
kir led the way, Selim followed, and I came last. The rope 
was fastened around the saintly patriarch, then halfway 
up its length was tied around Selim, and the other end I 
knotted around my hips. It was hard to hold a lighted 
torch, and use hands and feet in getting down, and as the 
fakir needed none, and Selim was afraid to risk carrying 
one, I was the only man who had a light. The fakir 
plunged down and was quickly out of sight. Selim felt his 
way timidly, and I heard him murmur the Moslem’s prayer 
on all occasions : ^^There is no God save God, and Mahomet 
is His Prophet.” Then I followed, using only the left hand 
and carrying the torch in my right. Not a word was spoken. 
I counted the steps; twenty holes down there was a gallery, 
which I tried to investigate, hut my torch was too feeble to 
lighten the profound gloom. 

I passed the gallery, and had gone down four or five 
steps more when I heard a laugh, which echoed horribly in 
the narrow passage, sounding like a troop of demons. Then 
I heard the words: "'So the Christian dog goes down to 
eternal silence. Languish in the bowels of the earth, and 
awaken in everlasting fire !” I looked up and saw two faces, 
so illumined by the torch that I recognized them: It was 
the old fakir and the "muza’bir !” We had been entrapped; 
we were to starve to death! 

"Selim, come up, quick,” I cried, beginning myself the 


68 


IN THE TOMB OF THE PHARAOS 


ascent, but Selim did not obey me, and the rope held me 
back. 

‘^Do you know me?” cried the juggler. ^‘You wanted 
me imprisoned, and now you are captured, and no one will 
deliver you.” 

^‘ISTo one,” agreed the pious fakir. ^^You began to mis- 
trust me, and yet were stupid enough to follow me. I be- 
long to the holy Kadis, and to avenge the Mokkadem I have 
waited for you in Maabdah. Now die like a dog, giaour.” 

I did not answer, for deeds, not words would save us. I 
took out my knife, and cut the rope that bound me to Selim. 
Then I drew my revolver, but, unfortunately, our foes 
could see my movements by the light of my torch, and sud- 
denly both faces disappeared, while the voice of the ^^mu- 
za’bir” called: ^^Shoot, you dog, and see if you can hit us.” 

In the darkness I could hear the sound as if heavy stones 
rubbed against each other. Taking my revolver in my 
teeth I hastened upward, and found the gallery completely 
closed by a great rock, against whicli I heard another 
shoved to brace it. We were prisoners! 

Selim, who could not see what had been going on, had 
heard the voices, and now called up: ^^Effendi, to whom 
were you speaking there? Why did you shoot? Has any- 
thing happened?” 

‘‘Yes, unfortunately, something has happened. We are 
taken prisoners.” 

“Taken prisoners ! By whom?” 

“By that holy old fakir.” 

“How can that be? He is below me.” 

“No, he has untied the rope and come up by some other 
way; he has closed up the passage with a stone, and we 
can’t get out; I can’t move the stone.” 

“Allah il Allah!” he cried, in a horror-stricken tone. 
“Let me come and help you.” 


IN THE TOMB OF THE PHARAOS. 69 

only one j)erscn can stand here; Fll try again, only 
come nearer, so if I succeed it will not fall on you with 
such force/^ 

I mounted another step, and tried to dislodge the stone 
with my shoulders, but in vain; and I had to give up the 
attempt because the bricks under my feet began to weaken. 

^^0 Allah, 0 mercy, 0 compassion, we are lost groaned 
Selim. “We shall perish in this hole, and no man will 
know where our flesh lies, or our bones have fallen.^^ 

“Kow, don’t wail. We are not helpless,” I said. “There 
may be a way out below; we must go down and look for it.” 

“And get deeper into misery? No, let us go up.” 

“Give me the end of the rope I cut ; I will tie myself to 
you again, and we will go down, down I say, at once. Go 
yourself slowly, and I will follow.” 

Selim descended carefully, and counting his steps; as he 
reached the thirtieth he cried : “Eflendi, I feel solid ground 
beneath my feet.” 

“Wait; I will come.” 

He was right; we stood on a square of earth, and in the 
middle was a flat stone. “See,” I cried, “there is a stone 
precisely like the one above.” 

“What does it matter?” wailed the hero. “We are lost, 
and shall never look on the light of day again. Life is so 
beautiful; who could have believed that it would have 
ended so quickly, so dreadfully?” And sitting down, he 
wept loud and bitterly. I thought it best to let him have it 
out with himself, so to speak, and did not attempt to con- 
sole him. Instead, I knelt, and dug away the sand around 
the stone; it was light and dry. I lifted the stone, and 
saw again brick walls around a narrow passage precisely 
like the one at the entrance. 

Selim’s loud sobbing died away, and I heard a sigh, 
weak, yet unmistakable. 


70 IN THE TOMB OF THE PHARAOS, 

^‘Did you sigh, Selim?” I asked. 

you only thought you heard me.” 

^^ot at all; it was perfectly distinct — there!” Again I 
!beard the heavy sigh. ^^Did you hear that?” 

^^es, Effendi, I heard it plainly.” 

^^It comes from this sand,” I cried. 

^^Sand has no voice.” 

^^Indeed it has, but not like this. I have heard the desert 
singing and sighing in the night as the winds swept over 
it, but this is not like that tone. It comes from this pas- 
sage!” I added, in amazement, as the sound was again re- 
peated. 

“Eight, very right,” assented Selim, rushing into a 
corner. 

“What on earth are you hiding from? There are human 
beings here,” I cried. 

“Human beings ! Ho; they are spirits of the lost.” 

“Hush, you coward! Stay here and whimper, if you 
choose; I am going to save myself. Besides, there may be 
some one else imprisoned here, and nearly dead. If we de- 
lay it may be too late. I am going down ; stay here if you 
like.” 

“Ho, no, no; I won’t stay in this awful place alone; I 
will go with you,” he cried, and we began the descent of the 
second passage. 

After going down ten steps we came to solid ground, 
and, on lighting the torch, saw a walled chamber, and 
against its side leaned a form, which raised its arms and 
cried: “Have mercy! Let me out, and I will not betray 
you. I have already promised you this.” 

“Don’t be afraid,” I said. “We are not come to torture 
you.” 

“Hot to torture me? Are you not Abd el Barak’s men, 
^who has sentenced me to die?” 


IN THE TOMB OF THE PHARAOS. 


71 


Abd el Barak is my deadly enemy, and has caused 
us to be captured here. You are starving; how long have 
you been here?’^ 

‘Tour days; I have licked the drops from the wet wall, 
so I am not thirsty, but I long for food.” 

The steward had provided us with dried meat, bread, and 
dates, which we shared with the young man, Selim as 
gladly as I ; for, though a coward, he was kindly. The food 
revived the poor fellow, and he asked our name. 

“First tell us who you are, and why you are here,” I said. 

“I am called Ben Ml, the son of the Mle, for my father 
is a pilot, and I was bom on the river. I was imprisoned 
here in punishment for refusing to kill a man whom the 
Kadis wished put away.” 

“Who was he?” I asked. 

“A stranger, a Christian from America,” answered the 
youth. “He had done my grandfather a great service, and 
I would not kill him.” 

“I am he,” I said, to his unspeakable surprise. “You are 
suffering for my sake, and I will do my best to save you.” 

“Effendi, you need help now as much as I, but my grand- 
father was the pilot of the slave-ship whom you helped 
get free that night when the Beis Effendina captured her. 
I have only paid a little of our debt in refusing to take your 
life,” he said. 

“Keep up heart, Ben Ml,” I replied. “I feel sure we all 
shall see the sun again.” 


CHAPTER VIII. 


OUT OF THE TOMB AND AWAY FROM SIOUT. 

We were certainly in a bad strait, yet I was sincere in 
telling my companions that I felt hopeful of delivery. 
Every moment made matters worse, for the air down below . 
was frightful, and there was no doubt that we must climb 
up again, where I hoped to find a hidden passage out. 

‘^0 Effendi, if you only were right,” wailed Selim. ‘^All 
my hope is dead; we shall starve in misery. Oh, why has 
Allah ordained this kismet for me?” 

Even the weak and exhausted Ben Nil could not stand 
this. “Why do you whimper?” he said. “You tell me you 
are called the greatest warrior of your tribe ; if you are, it 
must consist of old women. How shall I get up, Effendi? 
I am too weak to climb.” 

“We will drag and carry you,” I said. I tied the rope 
around his body, and Selim fastened the other end around 
himself, and went up first. I followed, with Ben Nil rest- 
ing on my shoulders, so that I could shove him while Selim 
pulled, as we had done in getting the steward out of the 
hole, and thus we slowly ascended. How lucky it was that 
we had brought torches, and had given none to the fakir; 
two were used up, but we had four left. 

Arrived in the first chamber, where I had brushed away 
the sand from the stone, I went over to it and began exam- 
ining the wall. It was but a few moments before I found a 
72 


OUT OF THE TOMB AND A WA V FROM SIOUT. 73 


brick that looked loose; I removed it, and found the others 
around it easily displaced, Selim by this time helping me, 
while Ben Ml held the light. 

Allah is greaV^ cried Selim; ^^it is a passage! Effendi, 
how did you know it was here?^^ 

guessed it, because this air is so fresh and sweet, and 
for that reason I believe it leads out of doors, not into 
another passage. Do you remember the hole the steward 
fell into?’^ 

Allah, wallah, tallah ! Do you mean that 

^^1 mean that we are coming out into that same hole, if 
my calculations are right. Keep on digging away the sand 
and bricks.^’ We went at it with renewed vigor, and at last 
the passage lay open before us. I crawled in with my torch 
to follow it up, and at last I reached the end, which I found 
filled up with sand. 

As I turned to go back to summon Selim and Ben Mil 
heard a well-known voice behind me, saying: Allah be 
thanked, I have found you again. I could not stay longer 
in that darkness.^’ 

^‘You were afraid?” I asked. 

“No, I was not afraid, but little Ben Ml was,” replied 
Selim. 

“And because he was afraid you left him alone! You 
have a queer way of showing your courage. Here, hold the 
torch; I am going to dig.” 

The sand was very light ; I scattered it on every side, and 
soon felt the fresh wind on my face. A moment more, and 
daylight streamed in, the sand collapsed, and revealed a 
hole, into which I crawled. The sun was directly over my 
head, and I found myself, as I expected, in the hole into 
which the steward had fallen. Selim came after me and 
cried in jubilant tones: “Allah dl Allah! Heaven be 
praised, and all the caliphs be 


UOUT OF THE TOMB AND A WA Y FROM SJOUT 

^^Oh, shut up with your caliphs, you donkey,^^ I cried, 
out of all patience. “Do you want to betray us?’^ 

“Betray us? To whom?” he asked, with the most stupid 
face I ever saw. 

“To those who entrapped us.” 

“But they will know we got out.” 

“Yes, hut not till the time comes. If they are in there 
still we will catch them.” 

“You are right, Effendi. We will catch them, and I will 
crush and destroy them, I the most renowned ” 

“Oh, for goodness sake, do stop your nonsense! I am 
going hack after Ben Nil. You stay here, and don’t do 
anything ridiculous. Keep perfectly still.” 

I crawled back and found Ben Nil sitting quietly just 
where I left him. “What news, Effendi?” he asked. 

“The best ; we are free.” 

He rose, uttered a prayer of thanksgiving aloud, and 
then stretched out his hands to me and said : “Effendi, I 
will never forget this hour. If ever I can thank you and 
fail in gratitude, may Allah forget me when I stand at the 
gates of paradise. You need not help me now; I can 
crawl after you; lead the way.” 

He spoke truly. His strength seemed to return to him, 
and we reached the open. Selim was not in sight. But 
we heard him, shouting: “You dogs, you sons of dogs, and 
descendants of dogs ! Eun, run, and if you turn back I will 
crush you in the fingers of my right hand. I am the 
mightiest of warriors, and the greatest of heroes.” 

“Selim,” I shouted, “come here! What are you yelling 
at?” 

“Shall I not tell these curs what I think of them?” he 
asked, returning to the edge of the hole. 

“What curs?” 

“The fakir and the juggler.” 


OUT OF THE TOMB AND A WAY FROM SIOUT^S 

That I did not throttle the idiot on the spot I think 
ought to stand high on the credit side of my accounts. 

^^Where were they?^^ I asked. 

climbed out of the hole, and they stood on the brow 
of the hill. My wrath mastered me. I yelled at them in 
fury, and they ran with the swiftness of the gazelle; you 
can still see them running.” 

^‘Catch the rope ; pull me up,” I said. 

Yes; he spoke the truth; there they were, too far off to 
he captured, and still running. I nearly choked as I saw 
them, and I turned on Selim angrily: “You old, incurable 
donkey! If you had held your tongue they would both 
have fallen into our hands !” 

“They will yet,” said Selim, as complacent as ever. “We 
will catch them in Siout.” 

“They won’t go hack there. However, we must return. 
We will carry Ben Nil between us, and our progress must 
he slow.” 

We made the long distance hack to the palace at a weary 
pace, hut we reached it at last. I was so enraged at the 
escape of that pious old hypocrite, the fakir, and the 
“muza’hir” that I could hardly appreciate my own happy 
delivery. I made up my mind to capture them if they 
were above ground, and for this reason to leave Siout by the 
second day. 

Ben Ml sought me in the morning. “May your day he 
blessed, and all your ways he peaceful, 0 my lord and deliv- 
erer,” he said, dropping off his shoes in the doorway and 
bowing low. “Is it true that you are going to Khartum?” 

“Yes.” 

“Effendi, do you need a servant?” he cried. “Take me 
with you ! I am poor, but I will not ask for wages. If you 
’will give me food it will he enough.” 


OUT OF THE TOMB AND A WA Y FROM SIOUT\ 

^TTes, I will take you; I like you, and, as you are a 
sailor, I may be able to get you a good position/’ 

“I shall be glad of one, and you shall not find me unwor- 
thy.” 

The young man made an extraordinarily good impression 
on me; he spoke frankly and respectfully, and his expres- 
sion was honest; knowing, as he did, every foot of the 
river, he could easily be of great service to me. But 
scarcely had I arranged to take him with me when Selim 
came to the door, and looked at me appealingly. ^^Efiendi,” 
he said, ^^will you send me back to Murad Nassyr, as the 
steward says you mean to do?” 

'^Yes, for I am going into the Soudan.” 

cannot return; it goes to my heart to part with you. 
You are a wise man, and know the hidden secrets of all 
things, but you need a servant; let me be he, for I will 
not return to Cairo.” 

^^But your fierce courage will get me into trouble; be- 
sides, I already have a servant.” 

‘‘Ben Nil? What use is that young man? He has fought 
no battles, and won no victories. Efiendi, my heart cleaves 
to you; take me with you !” 

There were actually tears in the eyes of this extraordi- 
nary being, and though I had been tried almost past en- 
durance by his stupidity and boasting, I had not the heart 
to refuse him. So I promised to let him go with me, and 
sent him on his way rejoicing with a joy I could hardly 
share; yet he was an honest, kind-hearted, and, as this 
proved, an affectionate old gas-bag! 

All my little preparations were made by night, and I 
was to start early in the morning. Just after evening 
prayer, as the Master of Horse, the big steward and I were 
smoking our farewell pipe, a small train of camels came 
swinging down the narrow street, and as they drew near 


O UT OF THE TOMB AND A WA V FROM SIO UT, 77 


to the palace we saw that the rider of the foremost animal 
was the lieutenant of the Eeis Effendina. 

I was glad again to see this young officer, who had done 
all he could to make my trip to Siout on the ^Talcon’’ pleas- 
ant. He greeted me most cordially, and immediately asked 
for a room in which he could see me alone. Having been 
shown to one, and made sure no one could overhear us, he 
said : ^^Eftendi, the Eeis Effendina has certain information 
that a caravan of slave-women is now on its way across the 
desert. The tribe of Fessarah Arabs were keeping a festival 
not many weeks ago. All the men had gone to Oschehel 
Modjaf, and the women were left at home. When the men 
returned the old women and children lay dead among the 
ruins of their homes, and the young women and girls had 
been carried away to slavery.’^ 

^^Horrible !” I exclaimed. H have heard that the Fessarah 
women are famous for their beauty. Has no trace of them 
been found 

^^FTo; yet the Eeis Effendina is convinced that the cara- 
van which he knows is now crossing the desert is theirs. 
He had commissioned me to capture it, and send the women 
hack to their homes. But he hade me seek you out and beg 
you to help me in this task, feeling sure it will thus suc- 
ceed. If you consent, you are to hold superior rank to 
mine, and I will obey you in all things. On my own part, 
I beg you not to refuse, Effendi, for I would gladly avail 
myself of the pleasure of your companionship, and the 
benefit of your wisdom, courage, and strength.” 

This was a wonderful invitation from the officer of the 
Viceroy to a young Christian traveller, and far too tempting 
to my love of adventure to ie refused. After brief consid- 
eration, I held out my hand and said as I rose : accept 

with pleasure, and due appreciation of the compliment. 


ISOUT OF THE TOMB AND AWAY FROM SIOUT. 

We will rescue these women, and I am ready to ride with 
you at any moment/^ 

^‘Good! The Eeis Effendina has sent you the finest 
camel in his possession,” said the lieutenant, rising also. 
"We will start with the sun in the morning.” 

And thus ended the first of my adventures in Egypt, the 
land of mystery, and saying farewell to the town for a 
time, I turned my face toward the outstretched desert. 


CHAPTEK IX. 


ON THE TRACK OF THE SLAVE CARAVAN. 

If it is true that "some are born great, some achieve 
greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them,” I 
must belong to the latter class, for it was luck, and not 
merit, that had led me, a young American traveller in 
search of adventure in the East, to be selected by the Eeis 
Effendina, the captain of the Viceroy of Egypt, for the 
command of an expedition to capture a caravan of slave- 
dealers who had destroyed a village of Fessarah Arabs and 
taken captive their women. 

The lieutenant, who according to the written instructions 
of the Eeis, was to be my second in command, left the town 
a little in advance of me, and waited at an appointed place 
for me to join him. He was surprised when he saw me 
coming, accompanied by two servants, and hailed me as 
soon as I was within speaking distance, saying : "I began to 
think you had not been able to find the place, I have waited 
so long. Is this youth Ben Xil, of whom you have spoken?” 

"Yes.”' 

"And the other is Selim, the hero of heroes?” 

"Yes, I am he,” Selim replied before I could speak, "and 
when you have learned to know me you will wonder at me.” 

"I wonder at you already, that you should speak when 
I addressed your master. I trust these fellows will prove 
worthy of bestriding such noble camels. You are first; 
I am the second; it is for you to do what pleases you, and 
I only hope this will prove no mistake. Let us fill our 
water skins and start.” 


79 


8o 


ON THE TRACK OF THE SLAVE CARAVAN. 


These words were addressed to me; we took the skins 
which hung at each saddle-bow, dismounted and filled 
them at the spring where we had met, remounted, and rode 
away. 

We turned toward the caravan route, which ran first 
southwesterly and then directly south, following the dry 
bed of a brook, which contained water only during the 
rains. The landscape was bare and bleak; on every side 
rose stern crags, and the camels’ feet fell on stony, unfruit- 
ful soil. On the second day of our journey we reached the 
sand desert which is called ^^bahr bela mah,” the sea with- 
out water, a term used often in the Sahara and by the Ked 
Sea to designate the desert. 

At last we came to the spot where the lieutenant had 
left his soldiers awaiting his return, and we camped by the 
baggage which lay on the ground, the soldiers at a respect- 
ful distance from their superior officers. Many of them 
had seen me on the Eeis’ ship, and welcomed me as a man 
whose presence might be useful to them. Ben Nil at once 
went over and joined them, but Selim would have liked to 
play the gentleman and remain with me and the lieutenant, 
but the latter gave him such an unmistakable sign of dis- 
missal that the long-legged hero was forced to go. He 
hailed the soldiers as he approached, saying: ^^So you are 
the ^Asaker’ ” (the plural of the word ^^Askeri,” meaning 
soldiers) ^^of the Eeis Efiendina, who are to be allowed to 
fight under us? I hope that you will be satisfactory to me. 
Do you know me?”' 

^‘^No,” answered one of the men, regarding nim with 
wondering curiosity, uncertain whether he was an equal or 
his superior. 

^^Then you surely are a stranger in this land, where every 
child prattles of my heroism. My glorious name is so long 


ON THE TRACK OF THE SLAVE CARAVAN. 8i 


that it would reach from here to Kahireh, so I hid you call 
me simply Selim. I am the greatest warrior of all the tribes 
and peoples of the East, and my adventures are related 
everywhere, and are written in thousands of hooks. My 
mighty hand is a rock in whose shadow you may rest secure 
all your length of days.” 

Thus having spoken Selim drew himself up, folding his 
arms over his breast in an indescribably funny attitude of 
dignity. The soldiers did not know what to make of this ad- 
dress; they looked over at me and saw me laughing, while 
Ben Nil shrugged his shoulders and murmured: ‘‘Tim el 
kebir,” which is equivalent to “gas-bag,” or boaster. So 
enlightened by these two clues, a young man, whom I dis- 
covered later was the wag of the band, rose, made a deep 
genuflection, and said in a tone of mock reverence: “We 
are blessed, 0 Selim of all Selims, in the light of thy coun- 
tenance. We believe, for thou hast said it, that thou art 
the essence of all wisdom, and we put our trust in thee, 
with full confldence that thou wilt not withdraw this light 
from us.” 

“I will not,” replied Selim, with no suspicion that he was 
the victim of a jest. “I am ready to protect you with all 
my talents at any moment.” 

We had watched this comedy with no slight amusement, 
but now we turned our attention to the object we had come 
out to attain, and which would surely prove a tragedy — 
the liberation of the Fessarah women and the capture of 
their captors. We all — that is to say, the lieutenant and I, 
and the “Onbaschi,” or corporal of the “Asaker,” whom we 
had admitted to our council — thought that the route of the 
guilty caravan would lie towards some hidden brooks, of 
which there are a few in the desert, concealed with the 
utmost care by those to whom the secret is known, for. 


82 ON THE TRACK OF THE SLAVE CARAVAN. 


since not even a camel can go a week without water, it 
followed that these people must know of some simh hidden 
streams toward which they would direct their course. We 
decided to ride in the direction in which the ^^Onbaschi,” 
an old dweller in the desert, thought it most probable that 
these springs would lie, and trust to the keen scent of our 
camels to discover them. The lieutenant and I, with Ben 
Nil and Selim, because we feared to take our eye off the 
latter lest his stupidity should bring our plans to grief, 
were to ride in search of these brooks, and reconnoitre gen- 
erally, while the ^^Onbaschi” was to lead the ^‘Asaker” to a 
certain stream called Bir Murat and wait for us to join 
them. 

Having given the ‘^Onbaschi^^ full instructions, so that 
there could be no possible misunderstanding, we four rode 
away. The country was still hill}", but devoid of tree or 
shrub ; no living thing was to be seen except the slow- wheel- 
ing vultures scanning the desert in search of some poor 
pack camel, which might have sunk exhausted beneath its 
load and been left by the heartless Arabs to die in the slow 
tortures of thirst and starvation, while the vultures sat 
around waiting for its last feeble breath to be drawn. Many 
such a pitiful scene have I witnessed, and given the patient, 
suffering creature the merciful shot that its cruel master 
had been too indifferent to give when his faithful four- 
footed servant had found its burden too heavy, and its 
strength had failed. But we passed no such dumb tragedy 
on this ride, nor did we see the bleaching bones that showed 
such a one had been enacted, which proved that we were 
off the general caravan route. 

There was no danger of mistaking our way; a glance at 
the watch and at the sun indicated it without consulting 
the compass, and by night the stars, especially the glorious 
Southern Cross, guided us. 


ON THE TRACK OF THE SLAVE CARAVAN. 83 


On we went and still onward, the camels swinging along 
on their sturdy legs with no sign of weariness, but their 
riders had not equal endurance. Selim complained until 
I lost all patience with him, especially as the women whom 
we were trying to rescue were of the tribe to which he be- 
longed, and for whom, consequently, he should have been 
more ready than we to suffer something, for none of us was 
finding the ride an easy one. At last, toward night, a hill 
rose before us and my camel paused for a moment, snuffing 
the air. Then he turned to the right and ran at full speed, 
while I let the bridle hang loosely, not interfering with 
the beast’s liberty to follow his instinct, for I knew that 
he scented water. The other three camels came after with 
equal speed; the sand flew beneath their flying feet. We 
passed between the hills and entered a little valley. Here 
my camel halted, pawing at the sand with his forefeet. I 
sprang down without attempting to make him kneel, and 
pulled him away. He resisted, screaming, struggling, 
and biting at me with all his might, but I forced him 
back and fastened his legs so tightly that he could not 
move. Heart-broken over his disappointment, he threw 
himself on his side and lay as motionless as if he were dead. 
We went through the same struggle with the other camels, 
and then knelt to dig away the sand. It was not a difficult 
task, and eight strong arms hastened it. Three feet down 
it was damp, a foot more and it was wet, then we came 
upon a sort of trough made of gazelle skins sewn together, 
and when we lifted this up we saw clear water an ell deeper 
down, with a wooden framework around it to support the 
leather cover. 

Allah be praised!” cried Selim, unfastening his girdle 
to tie his gourd on the end and fill it. ''Here is fresh 
water. We will drink after the heat of the day, and be 
refreshed.” 


84 ON THE TRACK OF THE SLAVE CARAVAN. 


^‘Stop!^^ I cried. ^^Give every one his due; the discoverer 
shall drink first.” 

^^The discoverer? That is yourself?” 

^^JSTo; my camel. He has thirsted for four days, and 
shall receive his reward.” 

“But a man comes before a beast !” 

“Hot in all cases; here is one where the rule is reversed. 
My camel comes before me; I have had water from the 
skin, but he has had none, although he had to carry me 
through the burning sun.” 

“Well, you Christians are queer people, and we, the true 
believers, have to bear with you!” 

Paying no further attention to his opinion, I took the 
fastenings off my camel; he sprang up and drank eagerly 
from the leathern trough which I had filled, until the last 
drop was gone, as did each of the camels in turn. We, too, 
drank our fill of the cold spring, and man and beast, we 
were wonderfully refreshed. 

During the night, when I was keeping watch while the 
others slept, I made up my mind to the next step, which 
was to ride on further alone and see if any trace of the 
caravan was to be found towards the south, since up to 
this point none had been discovered. It was not impossible 
that it might have turned aside and gone towards the 
stream where the “Asaker” were to await us, in which case 
they would even then be in danger. 

As the east began to redden I wakened the others, who 
fell upon their knees to say the “Fagr,” which word means 
the dawn, and is the name of the prayer appointed for the 
Mohammedans to say at that hour. After this we break- 
fasted off meal mixed with the sweet spring water, 
which had gathered during the night to the height at 
which we had found the spring. It was a breakfast which 


ON THE TRACK OF THE SLAVE CARAVAN, 85 


an American tramp would have scorned, yet it tasted de- 
licious in the Egyptian desert. At eight o’clock I started 
on my lonely ride, leaving my companions with the under- 
standing that if I were not back at a certain time they were 
to join the ""Asaker” at Bir Murat. 

I rode, as in the preceding days, directly southward. 
Soon^ the hills disappeared in the north and I was alone in 
the ^^bahr bela mah,” the sea without water. If the soli- 
tude of the desert is oppressive when one has companions, 
it is far more so when one is alone. It falls upon one like 
a nightmare. You feel how inexpressibly tiny you are, a 
helpless worm amid the awful forces of Nature. It seemed 
to me as though the desert rose up and the heavens were 
sinking, and that I should be crushed between them. Since 
there was no life to be seen I must at least hear some, so I 
began to whistle, like a boy afraid of the dark. My camel 
pricked up its ears and redoubled its speed. The effect of 
whistling on a camel is really curious ; however weary the 
heavy-laden ^^ship of the desert” may be, as soon as its 
driver sets the little whistle which he carries for this purpose 
to his lips new strength seems to enter the tired beast, while 
a camel that is not tired takes it for an invitation to greater 
speed. Hour after hour I rode, and my splendid camel, 
well chosen by the Eeis for his pace and endurance, had 
carried me so far by sunset that I was convinced there was 
no need for me to seek the caravan deeper in the south; it 
had surely taken the route on which we had calculated. I 
could not return by night with the same rapidity with 
which I had ridden during the day, but I whistled to keep 
up the camel’s spirits (as well as my own) until my lips 
ached, and it was not yet noon when I spied the hills once 
more before me.. 


86 ON THE TRACK OF THE SLAVE CARAVAN. 


Wondering whether anything had happened during my 
absence I rode on faster, till suddenly I reined up to a 
dead stop; something had indeed happened! A wide trail 
led from the left, disappearing behind the hills, whence it 
reappeared and led toward the northeast. The trail indi- 
cated five riders; had my companions ridden away to join 
the ^^Asakers’^ when they saw them coming, or had they 
been surprised? The trail returning from the hills was 
that of eight camels, but I could not see any indication 
that three had been made before the other five^ With an 
anxious heart I rode on, and close by the spring I saw the 
sand heaped up as if over a grave. Dismounting, I dug 
away the sand and saw two human feet. I could not wait 
to clear away any more sand; I seized the feet and pulled, 
pulled till the whole body lay revealed. God be thanked, 
it was neither the lieutenant, Ben Ml, nor Selim! It was 
a bearded, sunburned stranger, with a half Arab, half 
negro face. He had been stripped of his clothing, and a 
knife-thrust had gone straight through his heart! 

Dropping the feet, which I still held in the horror of 
my discovery, I ran to the top of the height to see if there 
was any one or anything that would give me a clue to the 
tragedy that had been enacted during my absence. I saw 
only the figure of a man coming slowly and fearfully 
toward me, and in a moment I recognized the heroic Selim. 

^^Selim, Selim!” I cried. ^^Come here quickly; I am 
here !” 

Allah be praised and thanked, for now I hope you will 
help me rescue Ben Nil and the lieutenant. But if you 
will not, then will I undertake the task alone.” 

‘‘Stop your boasting! You have been playing the cow- 
ard again, or you would not be here without them,” I in- 
terrupted angrily. “Tell me what has happened.” 


ON THE TRACK OF THE SLAVE CARAVAN. 87 


^Tive men fell upon ns.” 

^Tell upon yon? Was there no one on the watch?” 

^^Yes, I had that honorable post — ” 

^^You! Yon were on guard, yet did not see them com- 
ing?” 

“Elfendi, I could not see them then. It was the hour 
of the morning prayer, and I was kneeling yonder, with 
my face turned toward Mecca, toward the east, and these 
men came from the west; how could I see them?” 

“You need not lie; the trail shows me that they came 
after the morning prayer, and had you knelt where you 
say you did they would have seen you, and you would not 
have escaped them. You saw them, and ran away to hide !” 

“Effendi ! How can — ” 

“Now, no more of that! Do you know anything about 
your comrades^ fate?” 

“It was horrible! The lieutenant lay on the ground 
when I saw him, fighting against two men, and three others 
had attacked Ben Nil. Ben Nil stabbed one, but the other 
two overcame him. You should praise my presence of 
mind, Effendi, for I kept myself out of sight that I might 
preserve myself to rescue them.” 

“You certainly are wonderfully cool and collected! I 
believe you ran away like a jackal!” 

“Of course, I got off as quickly as I could for their sake, 
and presently I saw the band ride off with our friends pris- 
oners, bound on our camels. And they led off mine,” added 
this incurable coward, ruefully. 

“That is the only comforting thing you have told me!” 
I cried, furious when I considered that this creature had 
allowed our comrades to be surprised, and then had secured 
his own safety by hiding. “I am going to hasten after 


88 


ON THE TRACK OF THE SLAVE CARAVAN, 


them, and you shall taste the fruit of your cowardice by fol- 
lowing on foot/^ 

So saying, I ran back to my camel and mounted in hot 
haste. 

^^Effendi, Effendi!’^ shrieked Selim, running after me. 
‘^You won^t leave me ! Can’t you let me ride behind you?” 

"I could, but I am going to ride into a fight, with heavy 
odds against me, and if you come you stand a good chance 
of being killed.” 

Selim paused. ^‘1 wouldn’t hesitate to take that risk,” 
he finally said, ‘^but I fear if your camel were so heavily 
laden you could not overtake our foes, so you shall go on 
alone, and I will follow.” 

"Good!” I laughed. "You are really incorrigible! You 
can’t go astray; the trail is plain enough for a blind man 
to follow it. Keep your gun ready, for there are lions and 
panthers about.” 

So saying I rode off, and heard him running behind me 
shouting: "Lions and panthers! Allah kerihm! God 
have mercy on me! Effendi, take me with you, take me 
with you!” 


CHAPTEE X. 


ONCE MORE THE FAKIR. 

In spite of the long ride I had just taken, my splendid 
beast ran like the wind as I urged him onward. In a 
shorter time than I had dared hope I saw before me, as I 
ascended a small hill, those whom I pursued, and looking 
through the glass I made out that two men rode ahead, two 
behind leading the pack camels, while the prisoners were 
in the middle. Putting up my revolvers and knife and 
taking my gun in hand, I rode down upon the hand. One 
of the advance riders chanced to look around and discov- 
ered me, and at the same moment I saw that they were 
armed with long Bedouin rifles, which were only dangerous 
at short range. The man who had espied me drew up and 
signalled me to approach; we were now possibly a hundred 
feet apart. 

^Tome you rather to me,” I called, and to attain my end 
dismounted and took a few steps toward him. The un- 
written rules of desert etiquette compelled him to do like- 
wise, and I waited till he had come quite up with me. He 
looked at me searchingly, then extending his hand, said: 
^^Sallam aaleikum! be my friend!” 

^^Aaleik sallem ! ^ I will he your friend when you are 
mine,” I replied. ‘TTou stopped at my camping-place 
while I was trying my camel’s speed in the desert, and I 
have ridden after you to tell you what I desire, and then 
to grant your wish.” 


89 


90 


ONCE MORE THE FAKIR. 


He stared at me in amazement, then he said: “We have 
not been at any camp/^ 

“Ah, but I know that you have! It was at the hidden 
spring, which we had uncovered for our refreshment. 
When I returned my servants had gone, and in their place 
was the grave of a stranger.^^ 

“Did you open it?’^ he demanded hastily. 

“I was forced to open it to learn whether the dead man 
might perchance be one of my people. When I had seen 
his face I mounted my fleet camel and followed your trail, 
to tell you, as I have said, w^hat I desire, and to grant you 
the wish of your heart.” 

“What is your desire?” asked the man. 

“Give me back my servants.” 

His face did not change by so much as the quiver of an 
eyelash as he asked : “And what is the wish you will then 
grant me?” 

^^Then I will let you go your way unhindered.” 

“And if I do not do what you desire?” 

“Then will I prevent you from carrying out your 
design.” 

“You are a madman! You are alone, and we are four, 
yet you speak as though you had a hundred men at your 
back. If you knew who we were you would crawl in the 
dust before us!” 

“I will prove to you that I am equal to a hundred. If 
you resist me we will see who is mad and who is sane.” 

“You dare to threaten me?” he began to say, reaching 
for his pistol, but I had my revolver ready, and, pointing it 
at him, I thundered : “Hands off ! If you move one of the 
weapons in your girdle you are a dead man !” 

Withdrawing his hand, he said: “You fool! I have but 
to call my men, and you are lost.” 


ONCE MORE THE FAKIR. 


91 


^^Try it!” I replied. ^^The first word you speak loud 
enough to be heard twenty feet from here will bring a 
bullet through your heart.” 

^^That is downright treachery,” said my friend, but in 
a lower voice. 

; ^^How do you make that out?” 

came to you because you dismounted, and I could do 
no less than follow your example ; that is the custom of the 
desert. We should be free to part as we came; neither has 
the right to detain the other, but you outrage this ancient 
law.” 

^^Who dares say so? I spoke to you civilly, nor offered 
violence, but you threatened me, and when you talk of 
calling your men to attack me it is you who outrage the 
law of the desert, and I must protect myself.” 

‘^Then let me depart.” 

^Tirst, I wish to speak with you.” 
will not listen.” 

^^Then depart.” 

^^And you will not shoot me when my back is turned 
toward you?” 

^^No, for I am a Christian, and not a murdering sneak. 
But I tell you that I will have my servants; you shall not 
leave this place till they are in my hands.” 

'^At the first attempt at rescue we will kill you; do what 
you please.” 

^^And you!” I retorted as he moved away. ^^But if you 
will not do as I desire peaceably your blood shall be upon 
your own head.” 

The man went back to his little band, and a chorus of 
scornful laughter arose as he spoke with them; evidently 
they held my threats for empty words. 


92 


ONCE MORE THE FAKIR. 


I had no desire to shed their blood, though it would have 
been justifiable could I not have rescued the lieutenant and 
Ben Nil by other means. At best the camels must be sac- 
rificed; but I could easily spare our own beasts, for the 
prisoners were bound on them, and Selim’s was led by the 
halter. 

The little band began to move, shaking their fists 
at me over their shoulders and laughing derisively. They 
were moving in the same order as before; the leader with 
whom I had spoken in advance. I aimed at his camel. A 
puff of smoke, and the animal fell dead, shot through the 
heart; a second shot brought down the. camel of the rear 
rider. Loud cries and a volley of curses reached me, but 
as they were not dangerous I fired twice again, and 
stretched out the other two camels. There were left now 
but our own beasts and one belonging to the enemy, who 
had conceived respect for my accuracy of aim. ‘^Don’t 
move, or Fll shoot!” I shouted. Realizing that my little 
revolver was not to be trifled with, they obeyed. 

^^Throw away your guns; he who holds his shall be 
shot 1” I cried. 

This order too, was fulfilled, and the four men crawled 
crestfallen out from under the dead bodies of their camels. 
The living beasts, mad with fright, had rushed out of sight, 
bearing Ben Nil and the lieutenant further into the desert. 

^^Now,” I said, coming up, hope I have taught you to 
respect both the courage and the mercy of a Christian. I 
might have killed you, but I have spared you and taken 
only the lives of your camels; even they have not been al- 
lowed to suffer. Nay, stay; this poor creature still lives; 
I will end his misery — ^thus.” 

So saying, I held my revolver to the head of a camel that 
was moving feebly and put him out of pain. ^^You shall 


ONCE MORE THE FAKIR. 


93 


give up your weapons,” I continued, ^^est you may do 
further harm with them. Hold up your hands while I dis- 
arm you — quick!” 

In sullen silence they obeyed me, all but their leader. 
Grinding his teeth, he snarled: ^^How, by the Prophet, 
this is too much !” and reached for his knife. 

I saw the movement and sent a bullet through his hand. 
'^Hands off!” I said. With a muttered curse he obeyed 
me, and with my left hand I stripped him of his weapons. 
^^Now we are ready to say farewell,” I remarked. ^The 
task is well done. Go your ways, as I will go mine, for I 
have rescued them whom I came to seek. When next you 
meet a Christian do not molest his servants, nor treat him 
with disrespect. Farewell.” 

I went over to where I had left my good camel kneeling, 
waiting me patiently, though his quick breathing and dis- 
tended nostrils showed the fear he felt at the sight of his 
slain brethren. Mounting, I rode away towards the left, 
where the frightened camels that bore my comrades had 
disappeared, and the last I saw of my vanquished foes they 
were standing where I had conquered them, staring after 
me motionless, in silent hate. We were destined to meet 
again. 

The trail led directly into the desert, though not far 
into it. After five minutes’ riding I saw the captives in 
the distance, with the two pack camels lying close to theirs. 
When the lieutenant and Ben Nil saw me coming their joy 
was great. The former called to me as soon as he could 
make himself heard : Allah be praised, at last you come ! 
We have suffered more in the moments which have passed 
since you first appeared on the scene than in all the rest 
of the time since we were captured. We didn’t know 
whether you had been victorious or had been killed, or 


94 


ONCE MORE THE FAKIR, 


whether we should be found, or were doomed to perish mis- 
erably, hound on our camels here in the desert/^ 

^^You see that I am the victor,’^ I said, dismounting and 
going over to cut the bonds which held the camels to- 
gether, as well as those by which my comrades were tied 
on their hacks. ^^We will return to the battle-field, for I 
hope to find booty left by these scamps in the packs of the 
dead camels.” 

We did return forthwith, nor was I disappointed in my 
expectations. The packs held nothing that we cared for, 
hut they did hold a great deal that the ^^Asaker” would find 
useful, and we loaded it on our camels, to he divided 
among the soldiers when we came up with them. 

We sat down to wait for Selim, and I listened to the lieu- 
tenant’s account of the arrival of the unexpected enemy at 
the spring and their capture, which had come about much 
as I thought. 

“And now I know what and who they are,” I said when 
the story was finished. “Their knowledge of the hidden 
spring betrays them. They are the slave-dealers whom we 
are seeking.” 

“Impossible, Effendi!” cried the lieutenant. “They had 
no slaves with them, and we know that the caravan we are 
seeking has a great number of female slaves.” 

“These five men were but the vanguard; they were a sort 
of quartermasters, looking after the water and whatever 
was required for the caravan’s well-being.” 

“If that were so we made a great mistake in letting them 
escape. You should have held them and questioned them; 
what a help that would have been to us !” 

“Help? I don’t think so. If I had questioned them they 
would not have told me the truth, and it is better to have 
no information than to have false information. As it is. 


ONCE MORE THE FAKIR. 


95 


we will follow them, and I will creep np to them when 
they are encamped for the night, listen to what they say, 
and, if I am not mistaken, find out all that we want to 
know/^ 

^^But, Effendi, they must he deaf and blind not to dis- 
cover yon,^^ cried Ben Nil. 

^Tll see to that. I know how to creep up and spy upon 
people, yet remain invisible and inaudible myself. And 
we can start after our acquaintances in a few moments, for 
I see some one coming, who can be no other than our heroic 
Selim.” 

Sure enough, on the western edge of the horizon ap- 
peared a white point, which steadily drew nearer, and we 
saw that it was a foot traveller, running so fast that his 
white burnoose streamed behind him like a banner in the 
wind. It was Selim, and when he came up with us he was 
almost maudlin in his joy at having lived through his un- 
seen dangers and found us once more. 

We immediately set forth. Our foes had taken a north- 
easterly direction, and, that they might not suspect us of 
following them, we rode more easterly, being sure that we 
could strike across after it was dark and overtake them. Itwas 
the hour of the ^^Asr,” the afternoon, prayer, when we came 
to the spot where our old ^^Onhaschi” waited us with his 
“Asaker.” We told them our adventures and divided up 
the booty, of which I retained only a map, a fact which 
won for me still greater loyalty from the ^^Asaker,” of 
whom I had already no reason to complain on that score. 

We rested for a little while, and an hour after ^^Asr” set 
forth once more. Knowing that the slave-dealers’ camp 
must be near Bir Murat, because there was no other place 
near at hand where there was water, we went directly there. 
A little after sundown we came to a deep ravine, which 


96 


ONCE MORE THE FAKIR. 


suited our purpose so perfectly that I ordered a halt here 
for the night. We made our men and beasts as comfortable 
as circumstances allowed, and I sat down to wait for utter 
darkness, in which to carry out my plan of spying upon the 
enemy’s camp, a plan from which the lieutenant vainly 
tried to dissuade me. My faithful Ben Nil begged me 
to take him with me, hut I refused, not only because I 
^^ould not take him into danger needlessly, hut because 
the enterprise would he a much greater risk to me than if 
I were alone. Darkness closed in around us, and when it 
could grow no deeper I set out. I crept out through the 
ravine and over the sand, keeping close under the shadow 
of the rocks wherever this was possible, and soon I saw 
the light of a campfire glimmering ahead of me. I went 
toward it; a tent had been pitched, and a watcher was 
patrolling outside. Watching my chance when this guard 
had passed around to the other side, I slipped behind the 
tent, and just as I did so I heard a voice call out : ^^Heda, 
guard! where is your leader?” 

I had heard that voice before, but where? 

As I was considering this the flap of the tent was lifted. 
I could see that a figure approached it. Some one within 
cried: ^^Ahd Asl! All things are possible to Allah, hut 
who could have dreamed of seeing you here?” and as the 
light fell on his face I saw that it was the ^‘holy fakir” who 
enticed me and Selim to our probable death in the tomb 
outside Siout, and from which I had rescued Ben Nil none 
too soon! It nearly gave me convulsions to keep myself 
from leaping out and settling with the old wretch then and 
there, hut I had to set my teeth and keep still, which I 
did with bad grace. 

'^El Ukkazi!” replied the old humbug. have come 
to seek you to warn you of a man who has joined the Reis 


ONCE MORE THE FAKIR. 


97 


Effendina to injure your and my son’s business. He is a 
Christian from a land far beyond in the West, and he is 
to try to capture the slave-dealers.” 

know of him,” replied the other. ^^He is somewhere 
about this accursed business now, and he has with him a 
lieutenant of the Reis, and a follower of his own, called 
Ben Ml.” 

^^Ben Ml, Ben Ml!” shrieked the fakir. knew one 
by that name, but he is dead.” 

^^Yes, I know; you trapped him in a tomb, and you 
thought he had starved to death, but this unbeliever set 
him free and has him v/ith him now.” 

^^That — is — not — possible!” stammered the fakir. 

‘^^It is absolutely true. Hark ; some one comes !” 

I, too, heard steps; once more the tent door was raised 
and I saw the leader of the four men whom I had encoun- 
tered in the desert. 

Welcome, Malef,” cried El Hkkazi. ^Tell us what hath 
befallen thee.” 

‘‘Abd Asl, the father of our commander?” exclaimed 
Malef. ^^Allah shed grace and happiness before thy feet. 
Much has befallen me, El IJkkazi; sit down with me and I 
will tell thee all.” With these words my friend sat him- 
self between the other two and told them, not without 
many angry interruptions, the story of his adventures and 
misadventures. 

^^And so the dog is already upon us !” exclaimed El IJk- 
kazi when he had finished. ^^Abd Asl, what is it your ad- 
vice that we do?” 

know not yet your business, nor your destination,” 
replied the fakir. 

^^We are in charge of a caravan of slave- women of the 
Eessarah, whom your renowned son Ibn Asl has captured. 


98 


ONCE MORE THE FAKIR. 


He is the greatest of slave-dealers, worthy to call you 
father/^ 

^^The greatest,” assented the fakir laconically. ^^How 
long were you to remain here, and whither were you to go 
hence?” 

^^We were to leave here in the dawn, going southward 
first, .and then toward the northeast in the direction of 
Wadi el Berd, where we were to join Ibn Asl; we should 
get there by to-morrow night. There is water there, but 
hidden from those who do not know the place. There were 
three gaziah trees growing there, and years ago one of our 
men, seeing them, concluded there was a spring near by, 
which he sought and found. The trees still stand, though 
in our many visits to the place our camels have gnawed off 
their bark, and they are dry and dead. We have covered 
the spring with a rock, so that a stranger would never dis- 
cover it.” 

^Tt is my advice that you carry out your plan and go 
your ways early, for this accursed giaour may discover your 
whereabouts if you delay,” said Abd Asl. 

^^And we will act upon it, 0 father of the father of slave- 
dealing,” responded the leader of the band. I had heard 
enough, all and more than I needed to know, and the last 
words had been of the utmost importance, giving me an 
exact description of the place where this section of the 
slave-dealers was to join their leader. Carefully, and as 
slowly as I had approached, I began my retreat to my own 
camp. 

I found my comrades waiting my return in sleepless 
anxiety. I told them all that I had heard, and ordered 
an immediate start for Wadi el Berd; it was of the utmost 
importance that we should be on the ground first, and the 
^^Onbaschi” felt confident that he could take us by a sure 


ONCE MORE THE FAKIR. 


99 


and a quicker route than the usual one followed by cara- 
yans.; 

We travelled all night, and early in the forenoon we es- 
pied the three dead gaziah trees which marked the spring. 
So truly had El Ukkazi boasted of their skill in concealing 
the spring that we could not find it, even with his descrip- 
tion of the place, and had to turn to the camels for help. 
They were not long in deciding the exact spot where the 
water lay, and after we had dug away the sand we came to 
the stone that covered it, and disclosed the spring in the 
place the wise beasts had indicated. 

The next step was to find a place in which our company 
could he hidden, and I found it in the ravine, made, appar- 
ently, by the bed of a stream long dry. Then we posted 
jv^atchers on the height and waited. 

® It may have been ten o’clock when the ‘^Onhaschi,” who 
-Was on guard, summoned me to his side. The moon had 
risen, and by its light we saw a moving line of shadow 
across the white sands; it was the caravan ! Nearer it came 
and nearer. Presently we heard something like the twit- 
tering of swallows, broken by heavier notes, and knew it 
was the voices of the women captives and the drivers of 
the camels. At last the caravan came into the valley, and 
turned directly toward the spring. I saw from my hiding- 
place the white burnooses of the drivers and the light 
coverings of the invisible women, and I heard the deep 
voice of the leader of the caravan say : ^Tlalt ! Thanks be 
to Allah and the Prophet, for we have come safely to the 
waters of refreshment/’ 


CHAPTEE XI. 


TO THE RESCUE. 

The voice of the leader giving the order to halt had 
scarcely died away than there arose a babel of sound ; men 
called, shrieked and cursed, while women’s voices rang out 
shrilly, and camels whined and screamed. It was a great 
caravan; as the torches were kindled I counted by their 
light fifteen pack camels, and fully fifty saddle camels, 
while the litters of the women looked strangely picturesque 
in the flickering light. 

Although I was getting used to the East, I had never 
seen such an interesting and strange picture as I now 
looked upon, its effect undoubtedly heightened by the con- 
sciousness that the scene would so soon be turned into a 
bloody battle-field. 

As I watched, some of the men came forward to uncover 
the spring, led by a man whom I at first took for Ibn Asl 
himself. When the stone was raised and the water dis- 
covered to be as low as it naturally was after our ^^Asaker” 
and camels had drunk from it, this man uttered a fright- 
ful curse, and exclaimed: ‘‘There is scarcely two feet of 
water! The rain devil has turned it into another course! 
A thousand curses on these women, who must have what 
little there is, if we would keep them fresh for the market.” 

“Perhaps it will flow in again,” suggested one of the 
men. 

“Of that I am quite aware, you son and grandson of all 
wisdom! But how long shall we wait for it?” 

lOO 


TO THE RESCUE. 


lOI 


'Torgive me! In any case we must wait till morning 
for the others, and they will bring water from Bir Murat 
with them/^ 

^^To which you are welcome, if you like the flavor! We 
will bring the women here to drink, that not one drop be 
lost. How is it with that girl; will she obey to-day?” 

For answer the other called loudly: “Marba! Marba!” 
and as he did so turned his head so that I saw his face 
plainly, and it was so superhumanly ugly that I mentally 
dubbed him ‘^the monster” on the spot. 

All eyes were turned toward the women’s tents, but the 
one summoned did not appear. 

“Marba !” ^^the monster” called again, but with the same 
lack of result. 

The leader made a sign and two of his followers disap- 
peared under one of the tents and brought out a young 
girl, dragging her before the leader. Marba — for it was 
she — was sixteen years old, and very beautiful, fully 
bearing out the reputation of her tribe for the beauty of 
its women. She was barefoot; her body wrapped in a dark 
garment, like a caftan, and her dark hair hung in two long, 
thick braids down her back. Her gaze was fixed and im- 
movable; she stared blankly at the leader with her dark 
eyes; ^The monster” she did not glance at. 

Pointing to the latter, the leader said: ‘‘Thou hast in- 
sulted him, and shalt atone for it. Kiss him !” 

The girl did not move so much as an eyelash. 

“Obey,” shouted the leader, “or else — ” He snatched 
the whip from his girdle and waved it threateningly. Still 
she stood like a bronze image, drawn up disdainfully to her 
full height. The brute strode up to her, seized her, 
brought the whip down on her shoulders, and repeated his 
demand. She received the cruel blow without a motion. 


102 


TO THE RESCUE. 


‘‘Beat Her till she does oHey!^^ shrieked “the monster/^ 
furious as he sprang at her. 

“Only Ihn Asl may do that,” said the other, holding him 
hack. “Wait till to-morrow when he comes! She shall 
feel then the consequences of defying me !” He gave the girl 
a few more strokes, and then he and “the monster’^ re- 
sumed their seats on the sand, while Marha slowly walked 
back to her tent, behind the curtains of which she disap- 
peared. 

The blood was nearly bursting from my nails, I had 
pressed them so hard into my flesh as I watched this scene, 
powerless to rush out and rescue the beautiful girl from 
her persecutors. I had heard enough to know that to-night 
must be done what we had to do, for Ihn Asl, and others 
not yet come from Bir Murat, would he here in the course 
of the next day. Slipping from my place I rejoined my 
companions, comforting myself for my inability to save 
Marba this last outrage by the thought that it should in- 
deed be the last one. 

I had formed my plan, and taking the lieutenant, the 
“Onbaschi” and Ben Nil aside, I unfolded it to them. The 
Bedouins, unlike the American Indians, to whom I owed 
so much of my ability in this sort of strife, lay aside their 
arms when they lie down to rest. Counting on this, I meant 
to take Ben Nil, creep up to the tent of the leader and 
capture him while he slept. The “Asaker” were to be ready 
to rush out on hearing my signal, whicli was to be the cry 
of the vulture, and surround the camp on both sides ; until 
they heard this cry they were to lie motionless and still in 
the ravine. 

“And if you are captured and cannot give the sign, Ef- 
fendi?” suggested the lieutenant, anxiously. 

“If you do not hear the cry before the Southern Cross has 


TO THE RESCUE. 


103 


set you will know that I am captured, and you will come 
out, attack the camp and rescue me. And one thing more : 
If you hear three sharp shots in quick succession, then I 
am in danger and you must hasten to the rescue. But I 
feel sure that we shall succeed, so now farewell. Come, 
Ben mV’ 

The night was still; weary men and camels alike were 
sleeping as Ben Nil and I crept silently up to the enemy’s 
tents. The first thing was to determine which of the 
tents was the one in which the captives slept, for it was 
necessary to warn them of what we were about to attempt^ 
else in the confusion of the attack they might hinder in- 
stead of helping us. We had to break through the circle of 
the camp, and after a brief search discovered a point at 
which this was possible, fortunately near the tent which I 
had seen Marba, the daughter of the Fessarah Sheik, enter. 
The captors must have felt perfectly secure, for they slept 
like dormice. 

I got through without misadventure, leaving Ben Nil 
outside the circle to wait my return. I fully expected to 
find a guard before each tent, but even this precaution was 
omitted. 

The mat which hung before the door was dropped; I 
pushed it aside and crept in. The tent seemed full of 
sleepers, judging from the heavy sound of breathing, but 
a sigh, often repeated, and restless movements from one 
corner told me that there was one whose heart was too 
heavy for slumber, and I guessed that the Sheik’s daughter 
was suffering so keenly from her recent abuse that it was 
she who tossed restlessly from side to side. 

^^Marba !” I whispered softly. No one answered till I had 
repeated the whisper several times, then a voice barely 
breathed: ^^Who calls?” 


104 


TO THE RESCUE. 


^^One who brings you freedom. Come to me; I must 
speak to you.” 

^Treedom!” she gasped. ^^0 Allah, Allah, who are you?” 

'Tear not; I am not one of the slave-traders. I am a 
stranger, and I have made my way into the camp to tell you 
that by daybreak you shall be free.” 

"That is a lie. Here in this Wadi there is none but our 
persecutors; there is none to pity us.” 

"I speak the truth, as you shall see.” 

"If it is true, then swear it by the beard of the Prophet.” 

"That would be a foolish and vain oath, for I am a 
Christian.” 

"Christian? Allah! Can you be the stranger Effendi, 
who alone conquered Malef and his men, and took away 
their prisoners beyond Bir Murat?” 

"Yes, I am he.” 

"Then do I believe thee. Wait, I’ll come. I’ll come.” 

I heard a quick movement in the direction of the voice, 
a hurried whisper, then answers. Marba was waking her 
companions. In a moment a hand touched my sleeve and 
Marba whispered, with a sob in her voice: "Oh, has my 
father sent thee?” 

"No; we have come by the order of the khedive, through 
the Reis Effendina.” 

"They did not know that I heard them, but yesterday a 
fakir, with a Turk called El Ukkazi, came to our camp be- 
yond Bir Murat and warned our leader, Ben Hasawi, that 
a man called the Reis Eifendina had sent out his lieuten- 
ant and 'AsakeP under a foreign Effendi, but I could not 
understand what they were sent to do. I only understood 
that they feared and hated thee.” 

"So you consider me a wicked man?” 


TO THE RESCUE. 


105 


^^Ah, no, Effendi; when such rfs they speak evil of a man 
it is greatly in his favor/’ 

‘‘That is well said, Marha. And now he prepared for 
what is to follow. I am going to make the attack and res- 
cue you as soon as possible. When you hear the scrim- 
mage, if there be one, and I fail in my plan to conquer 
these wretches by cunning, you will know what is going 
forward. Keep yourselves out of harm’s way till the day is 
won, but if you are forced to act, remember which are your 
friends and help them if you can. This is what I came to 
say; so now farewell for a little while, and pray your God 
and mine for our success.” 

“One moment, Effendi; thou hast spoken of overcoming 
them by cunning. Are these brutes not to be killed, then?” 

“No ; they are to be delivered up to the Eeis Effendina 
for justice.” 

“And are we not to be avenged, even on Ben Kasawi and 
the hideous beast who is next to him in command?” 

“Not now; they will be punished by the law. We Chris- 
tians do not believe in revenge.” 

“ ’Tis well that we are not Christians, Effendi ; thy laws 
are not our laws, and justice is far-off. May Allah go 
with thee and deliver up our enemies into thy hands. Thou 
art an unbeliever, but thou wilt rescue us from these hypo- 
crites who call themselves sons of the Prophet; let Allah 
judge between thee. Farewell.” 

I crept away, little understanding the meaning of this 
last speech. Ben Nil was waiting where I had left him, in 
a fever of impatience, and together we set out to crawl 
around the outside of the camp and attempt the first part 
of our plan, which was to capture the leader, whom Marba 
had called Ben Kasawi, and his aid, “the monster,” and 
carry them off. 


io6 


TO THE RESCUE. 


Once more I found a point at which I could enter the 
circle of tents, and again I left Ben Nil without while I 
crept up to the particular tent which I had noted as Ben 
Kasawi^s. As I came around at the hack I heard voices 
talking, not loudly, yet not with any indications of fear 
of being overheard. It was Ben Kasawi and his ^^mon- 
ster,^^ and I was obliged to change the order of exercises 
on which I had determined in the expectation of finding 
them asleep. They were talking of me, and the likelihood 
of my success in carrying out the commands of the Keis 
Effendina; the terms in which they spoke of me were un- 
complimentary enough to make me particularly enjoy the 
course their wakefulness compelled me to pursue. Both 
these fellows must be knocked senseless, and I made ready 
to put forth the strength of my right arm, which had 
earned for me among the Apaches the name of Old Shat- 
terhand. 

I lay in such position that either must come toward me 
if he moved, keeping close to the ground. Ben Kasawi 
rose, came over to the side of the tent where I was, and 
chanced to drop his eyes at the wrong moment. 

^^Who is this?” he cried as he spied me. ‘^There is some- 
thing here. It seems to be — ” 

He got no further. As he spoke he had bent down to 
see me better, and this was such a fortunate position for me 
that I immediately availed myself of it. Before he could 
know what happened he got a blow that doubled him up like 
a jackknife. The next moment I was on my feet and had 
his companion by the throat. There was a brief, silent 
struggle, then I got my right arm free and patted my 
friend, ^The monster,” on the head so decidedly that he 
took a nap on the spot. ^ Putting my hands to my lips I 
trilled "krrraaaa-rr,” not loudly, yet so clearly that it could 


TO THE RESCUE. 


107 


be heard at some distance. It sounded precisely like the 
vulture when half aroused from sleep, and was the signal 
for the lieutenant and the old ‘^Onbaschi’^ to bring up the 
‘^Asaker’^ to surround the camp. Ben Nil, hearing the sig- 
nal, rushed into the tent, as we had agreed. 

“Are you strong enough to carry a man?” I asked. 

“If he isn’t quite a giant. Where is he?” asked my 
plucky little follower. 

“There are two; take this fellow, and follow me.” 

I took Ben Kasawi and went ahead, Ben Nil coming after 
with “the monster.” We went directly to the place where 
the lieutenant must first appear, and laid our burdens 
down. It was but a few moments before the other two 
appeared, followed by the “Asaker.” Without losing a mo- 
ment I addressed them, speaking very softly, so that those 
on the outer edge of the circle we had formed had to have 
my words repeated to them. I said : “These two prisoners 
whom we have here are bound and gagged; they are un- 
conscious, but will not remain so long. One of you must 
guard them, and I give him permission to kill them if they 
attempt to get away. The rest must follow me into the 
enemy’s camp. There is a rock to which I will lead you 
where they have stacked all their arms. We are going to 
creep there, noiselessly and in single file, steal away their 
guns, and return here. Ben Nil is to come after me, then 
the lieutenant; after us the ^Asaker,’ each two feet behind 
his predecessor. You will all do precisely as I do, rising 
when I do, crawling when I do. Only a noise can make us 
fail, so let it be the duty of each man to avoid the slightest 
rustle. Now, then: forward!” 

Our Indian-like march began, and it would have been 
impossible for any body of men to carry out their instruc- 
tions more faithfully than did my “Asaker.” When we 


’ TO THE RESCUE. 


lo8 

were fifty feet from the rock I lay down and crept slowly, 
softly np to the rock, Ben Nil and the rest doing likewise 
in their appointed places. At last I came to the place 
where the gnns lay. I seized one, handed it to Ben Nil; 
then another, and so on till the last gun of the pile was in 
our hands. Then we turned, and in reverse order, I coming 
last of all, crept back to our prisoners. 

We found them just regaining consciousness. I took 
the gag out of Ben Kasawi’s mouth, and setting my knife 
at his breast, said: ^‘Not a loud word, or you are a dead 
man. J have brought away all your arms; your men can 
do nothing to save you. You are in my power.^^ 

The wretch turned white to his lips ; he was as frightened 
as a cowardly bully who beat a woman would naturally be 
in the face of danger. ‘‘Effendi, spare me! I will give 
you all the slaves!’’ he cried. 

^^They are not yours to give,” I replied. came to set 
them free, and they are freed. But I am anxious to avoid 
bloodshed; if you will do as I desire you shall not die, but 
shall be delivered over to the Keis Effendina for judgment.” 

His whole face brightened, for he well knew the delay 
and uncertainty of Egyptian justice. ^‘Speak; your will is 
mine,” he said. 

^^Command your men to yield themselves our prisoners, 
as they must do in any case, without resistance, and I 
pledge you my word I will have none of you executed.” 

^Tt shall be done; send one of your followers to call 
them forth,” he said. , 

Ten of the/^Asaker” went over near the camp, and put- 
ting their hands to their lips, cried : ^^Hada ! Men, av/ake ! 
Come forth!” 

The entire camp aroused into sudden activity. The 
men of the slave caravan came out of their tents, and at the 


TO THE RESCUE. 


log 

same time the Fessarah women appeared, unveiled, with 
their long hair streaming as they marched toward us chant- 
ing a wild psalm of triumph. 

When the men had come up with us in obedience to their 
leader’s summons, in a few bitter words he explained to 
them that they were in my power, and he had agreed to 
yield them up prisoners on my promise that they should be 
taken to the Reis for judgment. Then he added a few 
rapid words in a dialect that I did not understand. ^^Ef- 
fendi,” whispered Ben Nil hurriedly, ‘‘he has bidden 
some of them escape to warn Ibn Asl not to come 
this way.” 

“If one moves from this spot he is a cripple; I will 
shoot him!” I shouted. An instant later I saw a move- 
ment in the rear line of men and heard a shout of warning. 
A man was running at top speed toward the rocks. My 
shot whistled after him, and he dropped with a howl of 
pain as the bullet shattered the bone of his leg. Still un- 
deterred by his fate another attempted to escape, and I 
crippled him, and yet another with like result. After this 
the man who was apparently the “Onbaschi” of the band 
turned to me with a snarl of hatred like a mad dog’s. “Ef- 
fendi, you have taken away our arms,” he said, “and we are 
in your power. But do not imagine that we shall be killed ; 
no judge in Egypt will thus delight you, and though to-day 
is yours, our turn will come.” 

At this moment a howl arose which could come from no 
other than Selim, the bold. “Effendi, Effendi ! A man has 
knocked me down and escaped,” he cried. 

“You unutterable idiot, why didn’t you shoot him?” I 
yelled, rushing after the fugitive, who was already out of my 
range. And as I ran I heard Marba cry out wonderingly : 
“Selim el Fallah, el Oschabani — Selim the outcast, the 


no 


TO THE RESCUE. 


coward ! He was driven from the tribe of Fessarah for his 
cowardice! Effendi, how came such a man with yon?’^ 

The fugitive had much too long a start for me to catch 
np with him, and the ravine afforded him so many hiding- 
places that it was only too easy for him to escape. When I 
found that there was no hope of capturing him I returned 
in a fury of rage against Selim, through whose stupidity I 
knew too well that we should never catch Ibn Asl on the 
morrow, for the man who had escaped was certainly gone 
to warn him of his danger. 

As I came upon the scene of our recent triumph the 
first thing that met my eyes was the bodies of Ben Kasawi 
and his hideous comrade pierced with a knife and quite 
dead. Our ^^AsakeE^ stood keeping at hay their followers, 
from whom rose a murmur of curses and hatred. My eyes 
sought Marba for the explanation of the tragedy. There 
the girl stood proud and motionless, the fatal knife still in 
her hands. 

^‘^Yes, it was I who did this thing, Effendi,” she said. 
^^You had told me that they were to he delivered to theEeis, 
and we know too well what Eg5q3tian justice is. Punish 
me if you will. He had struck me, and the stripes could 
only he washed away in his blood. I leave the others to 
you; these two were mine. Ask my people, ask your ^Asa- 
ker,’ whether I have done right! I repeat: punish me if 
you will.^’ She offered me the knife; I waved it away 
with repugnance. ^^Whose is it?’^ I asked. 

“Mine,^’ said Ben Nil. 

^^Did she steal it from you?’^ 

“Ho, she asked for it, and told me for what she asked 
it, and I gave it to her freely, for she has fulfilled the law 
of the desert. They have deserved death a hundred times, 
hut the most the law would have given them was the has- 


TO THE RESCUE. 


Ill 


tinado. It is good for a people to have its own laws; Ef- 
fendi, respect ours. But if you punish Marba, punish me 
also, for I have had a share in the blood of these criminals.” 
He went over and stood by the maiden, as if to shield 
her. 

I stood silent, considering for a few moments, while the 
slave-dealers^ men murmured and called on me to avenge 
the murder. I could not help seeing that the effect of this 
act on the others would he good, and that the punishment 
so richly deserved would not have been administered by 
the law. Besides, in the eyes of these people it was not 
a murder, hut simple justice according to their code, and 
what right had I to impose on them the laws of a civiliza- 
tion which they had not attained? And, most of all, I was 
influenced by the fact that it would be most unwise to an- 
tagonize my ^^Asaker’^ when so much remained to he done, 
and I must keep them under my control till these women 
were returned to their land. 

So at last I said: will leave the decision as to your 

guilt in Allah’s hand. He must judge you, for it is beyond 
my power. I will believe that you have done what you 
considered right; you are forgiven.” 

The women’s voices rose in a shrill shout of jubilation, 
broken by the dull growl of menace from the followers of 
the dead men. The lieutenant had been watching this 
scene with a most gloomy face, and now he came to me 
and said low: '^Effendi, I would rather face ten hungry 
lions than conduct these female devils across the desert. 
Let us divide our duties; do you take charge of the slaves, 
and I will bring our prisoners to the Keis Effendina.” 

^^Why,” I said, laughing, ^These women are not devils. 
I would willingly lead them anywhere. Be sure that as they 
have required the lives of these beasts who so wronged 


1X2 


TO THE RESCUE, 


them, they would cheerfully lay down theii; own for us who 
have saved them.” 

“Maybe,” said the lieutenant dubiously, ‘^Dut I don’t like 
the prospect. Take them to their fathers and husbands, 
Eifendi, and let me have charge of men, for these long- 
haired, chanting, big-eyed beauties give me chills every 
time I look at them.” 

“So be it,” I laughed. “It is better that we divide our 
work in any case. Give me twenty ^Asaker’ and I will 
convoy these weak, but awful, creatures to the Fessarah 
and receive the blessing which you are afraid to share. But 
one thing I ask of you in return : take Selim with you, for 
I can stand him no more, nor if, as Marba said, he was ex- 
pelled from his tribe for cowardice, would the journey be 
agreeable to him.” 

So thus it was arranged. We buried the leader of the 
cruel band in the sand, loaded our pack camels, accord- 
ing to the division we had made, and when the sun was 
high the lieutenant and T parted with much good will on 
both sides. 

The women were delighted that I was to conduct them 
to their homes, and we started with happy hearts on our 
journey. Ben Nil, of course, went with me, and the last 
words I heard as my camel swung off in his easy gait were 
from Selim. “Effendi,” he said, “I will await thee at 
Khartum. The Beni Fessarah are not worthy to have 
such a renowned warrior as I am to visit them. But my pro- 
tection shall not fail thee, for I will pray to the Prophet 
that he will take care of thee, and reunite us in a day on 
which our joy shall know no bounds.” 


CHAPTEE XII. 


SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT/’^ 

It was a long and tedious Journey to the dwelling-place of 
the tribe of the Fessarah, hut we made it without adven- 
ture. I had restored my charges to the arms of their kin- 
dred, had been blessed with all the choicest blessings of 
this world and the world to come, and had parted from the 
grateful people laden with gifts, and was now taking the 
shortest route to Khartum, where I was to resign my 
“^Asaker” to their rightful commander, the Keis Effendina, 
Achmed Abd el lusaf. 

It was not long after the rains, and the savannah, which 
at that season is covered with verdure in the northern and 
western part of Kordofan, although later it resembles a 
barren desert, was still so green that had I been mounted 
on a horse instead of a ^^hedschin,^^ as riding camels are 
called, I should have thought myself back in one of our 
own Western prairies. 

Thanks to the Juicy grass, we were able to ride longer 
than usual before seeking water for our beasts, but when 
we came to the ^‘bir atschahn,^’ which means ^Thirsty lake,” 
and is so called because during the dry season it lacks 
water, it was high time that we filled our skins again and 
watered our camels. I should never have found the lake, 
for it lay in the midst of the fiat savannah, with no tree 
or shrub to mark the spot, but it was well known to our 
guide, whom the Fessarah Sheik had sent to coQduct us to 
Khartum, and who knew every foot of the country as 


II4 ‘^SHOULD ' AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOTr 

well as he knew the long Arabian gun which he carried. 
This gun was the idol of his heart; it was never out of his 
hand, and he loved to talk about it. As we sat down by 
the edge of the lake he caressed it lovingly and said : '^Did 
you ever see such a work, Effendi? Is it not marvellous?’^ 

The barrel of the gun was inlaid with ivory in a design 
that I could not make out, so I answered discreetly : ^Tt’s 
fine, really magnificent! But what is it?” 

^^What is it?” he cried. ^^What a question! Don’t you 
see what it is? Here, look at it closely.” And he held 
the barrel under my very nose. 

I did my best to make out what the thing was, but in 
vain; it was not an inscription, not a picture — it was abso- 
lutely nothing. 

“You are blind !” pried its owner. ^‘May Allah enlighten 
your eyes! But you are a Christian, so it is not strange 
that you do not recognize the figure; a believing Moslem 
would have known at a glance what it was. Can’t you see 
that it is a head?” 

A head ! There was not the least trace of one ; at most, it 
might have been taken for the unformed head of a hippo- 
potamus. So I shook my own head. 

“You cannot? Allah, wallah, tallah. It is the head of 
the Prophet, who sits in the highest heaven.” 

“Impossible ! There is no sign of a head here. Where is 
the nose?” 

“There is none, Effendi. The Prophet needs no nose; 
he is the purest of spirits, possessing in himself ten thou- 
sand sweet odors.” 

“Where is the mouth?” 

“It is lacking, for the Prophet needs no mouth; he 
speaks to us through the Koran.” 

“Well, I don’t see the eyes.” 


^‘SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOTr 115 

“Why should there he eyes? The Prophet needs not to 
see, for before Allah all things are onen/' 

“I\e been looking for the ears, but I cannot find them.” 

“Because there are none. The Prophet does not need 
to hear our prayers, for he himself wrote them for us before 
we were born.” 

“Where is the beard?” 

“There is none. Who would dare profane in ivory the 
beard by which we swear our most sacred oaths?” 

“Then there is nothing of the head here but the brow?” 

“Not that, either. The brow is the seat of the spirit; 
it must not be represented.” 

“Do you mean there is nothing there at all?” 

“Nothing at all,” he nodded complacently, “yet I know 
every feature of the face. The artist who carved this knew 
not the command that we should not make the image of a 
man. He had seen the Prophet only in spirit, for the gun 
is very ancient ; it was made before the Prophet was born.” 

“That can’t be, for then powder was not in use.” 

“Effendi, do not deprive me of the glory of possessing 
such a gun. Why should there be powder? If Allah wills 
it so, a man can shoot without powder.” 

“I admit that Allah can work miracles ; here there seems 
to be two; first, a shotgun made before powder was in- 
vented, and, secondly, a portrait of the Prophet made be- 
fore he was born.” 

“I have already told you that the artist saw the Prophet 
in spirit. It was a vision, and therefore this is a vision 
gun.” 

“Ah, a vision gun ! That is good. I don’t believe there 
is another existing.” 

“Yes, it is the only one. You are right, and I am glad 
that at last you see its value. It is sacred to me; it has 


ii6 ^‘SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOTr 


come down to me from father to son from the artist, whose 
descendant I am; I shall leave it to my oldest son. It 
does not shoot straight; I can never aim directly at what 
I wish to shoot ; it must point a little higher, a little lower, 
or to the left or the right, but I will not have a new barrel 
put in, for it would be sacrilege, and it is enough to own 
such a gun without hitting what I shoot at.” 

^^That is a matter of choice; for myself, I should con- 
sider that the best gun which attained the end for which 
it was made.” 

^^Which is what my gun does! My vision gun proves 
that my ancestor saw the Prophet, and that is more than 
enough; it does not matter how it shoots.” 

^^And in the meantime,” I cried, springing to my feet, 
^^here comes a rider.” 

The man had ridden softly over the grass without our 
hearing him, and now dismounted close behind us. 

^^Sallam aale'ikum! Will you permit me, sir, to water 
my camel at this lake?” he said, ‘^and also slake my own 
thirst?” 

^^Aaleikum sallam ! The lake is here for every one, and 
I cannot hinder you from using it if you will,” I replied 
ungraciously, for he struck me unfavorably. 

The stranger gave me a mistrustful glance, led his camel 
to the water, filled his water skin, and turned to me. 
am a peddler,” he said before I could ask a question. 
ride from lake to lake to find those who may be camping 
along the way and learn what they need.” 

^^You seem to be a novice in the business,” I said. ^^An 
experienced merchant would come provided with wares, 
while you carry nothing.” 

return by the same route,” he replied, scowling^ 
^Vhen I bring what is ordered. I carry little, because I do 


'SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOTT 117 


not wish to retard my camehs speed. Whence do you 
come? Are these ^Asaker’ with you?’’ 

I knew he had lied to me, and I felt too sure what he 
was to answer him truthfully, so I said: “I come from 
Badjaruja, and I came upon these ^Asaker’ here; they al- 
lowed me to rest and refresh myself by the lake.” 

The corners of his mouth drew together in a derisive 
curve, but he acted as though he believed me. wish 
I could ask the ^Asaker’ to be as good to me, but my time 
is so closely reckoned that I must resume my ride at once,” 
he said, going over to his camel and mounting. Just as he 
was about to pass out of hearing he turned in his saddle 
and called to me: “Sallam, Effendi! You have told me 
whence you came, but I do not believe you. You have not 
told me who you are ; I think I can guess, however, and you 
shall learn to know me better.” 

I remained lying quietly in the same position, and he 
waved his hand to me mockingly and disappeared from 
sight. 

'^What was the meaning of that?” cried our guide. ‘^That 
was an insult. He did not believe you, and he guessed who 
you were! What do you think he wants?” 

^^My life, apparently, as well as yours and the ^Asakers’.’ 
There’s going to be a fight, and as your vision gun doesn’t 
obey you, perhaps you had better ride home again.” 

^^Effendi, that is unkind ! I was to conduct you to Khar- 
tum, and I will never leave you till I have done my duty. 
Why should you think of a fight? The tribes hereabout 
are in profound peace at present.” 

'^Because that merchant who just left us is a spy. I be- 
lieve he comes from Ibn Asl, who seeks revenge for the 
rescue of your women, and who may easily know that I 


ii8 ^‘SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOTT 


am going to Khartum. Is there a wooded spot near here 
where they may be hiding?’^ 

The guide had heard me with horror on his face, but he 
pulled himself together and said : ‘T know the very place. 
If we were to start at once we should get there a half-hour 
before sunset; it is a small forest of cassia trees.” 

‘^Then come,” I cried, starting up, ‘Tor I am convinced 
the band is waiting for us, and that spy has ridden on to 
tell them that he has found us.” 

We saddled, mounted, and rode rapidly away, following 
the trail made by the spy when he rode toward us. In 
half an hour we came upon another trail approaching from 
the right and uniting with the first one ; I dismounted and 
satisfied myself that they were both made by the spy’s 
camel, which “interfered,” and so was easy to identify, and 
that he had ridden round about to return to the path by 
which he had come. The last tracks showed that he was 
riding very rapidly, confirming the theory that he was 
hastening to carry his news to his leader. 

We continued our way, following the double trail, and 
after an hour came upon a place where the riders had 
halted. The grass was crushed, and an old trail of three 
camels, with a new one of one beast led easterly; a single 
trail ran toward the north and south. 

“You see this proves that I was right,” I said. “Our 
foes are in the cassia woods, and the leader had sent out a 
line of sentinels. Three men came here; two camped 
here, while the third, the spy we saw, rode farther. He 
came back announcing that he had found us, and rode on 
to inform the leader, while the other two went to recall 
the other sentinels from the north and south to the woods. 
Look at this crushed grass; the fellows must think we are 
either blind or fools. Since three men were sent in this 


*^SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOTr 119 

direction it is probable an equal number went in the other 
ways, which shows we shall have to deal with a considerable 
force. The trail shows that they are short-sighted, but 
strong in numbers. I will leave it to you what we shall 
do. Shall we fight them, or shall we avoid them, which 
we can easily do, now that all the sentinels have been re- 
called to the woods?” 

^‘Fight, fight !” rose the unanimous answer from all sides. 

^^Good! We will go to the left and come upon the woods 
from the north, while they are looking for us from the 
west. We must ride faster to make up for the extra dis- 
tance.” 

^ We rode on as fast as our camels could run, and after 
a time came upon the trail of the other sentinels return- 
ing. We kept on northeasterly, then for two hours rode 
southerly, and at last saw a dark line against the horizon, 
which was the woods. Guided by our Fessarah friend, we 
approached the place from a point whence a larger force 
than ours might have been unseen. 

p The first thing to be done was to learn the plans of our 
foes, and the task of spying upon them I took upon my- 
self. We hid our camels in a thick growth of balm of 
gilead trees, behind which no one would see them, and I 
made ready to reconnoitre. Laying aside my white hel- 
met, I donned a dark garment, reassured Ben Nil, who 
feared to let me go alone, and started off. I crept through 
the thick undergrowth for what may have been a quarter 
of an hour, when it seemed to me that I heard voices to 
the left. I stood up and listened; yes, there really were 
voices, men talking not loudly, but yet with no attempt 
at especial caution. I crept up as near as was safe and 
recognized one of the voices. It belonged to our recent 
acquaintance, the spy, and the other was nothing else than 


120 "SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOTT 


the voice of Abd Asl, the father of the slave-dealer, the 
holy old fakir who had so nearly murdered Ben Nil 
and me. 

‘^We will kill them all/^ he was saying amiably, “except 
the Christian; him we will spare.” 

“Why him?” asked the spy. “He should be the first to 
he killed.” 

“No, I will take him to my son; he shall suffer long and 
horrible torture. A quick death for him would not sat- 
isfy me. What sort of death would be the best for one 
who has slain our comrades and spoiled our plans?” 

“Those Fessarah slaves would have brought heavy prof- 
its. You must cut off his hands and tongue, so that he 
cannot speak nor write, and can betray nothing. Then 
you must sell him to the most cruel negro chief you can 
find.” 

“Not a bad idea. Perhaps we will carry it out; perhaps 
we shall think of a better plan. The foreign dog de- 
serves the worst we can do, for with the devil’s help he has 
discovered all our plans, and has escaped when we were 
sure we had him.” 

“Take care he does not escape this time !” 

“Have no fear; it is impossible, and when the Eeis Ef- 
fendina has fallen into the trap my son has laid for him, 
and is even now executing, we shall have wound up the 
affairs of the entire gang.” 

I had heard enough and crept back to my comrades, 
not a little disturbed by the fakir’s last words. Evidently 
I must get through this business quickly and hasten on to 
Khartum. “Now,” I said to the “Asaker” crowding 
around me when I had repeated to them what I had heard 
and seen; “now, we are to creep upon them, surprise them, 
and knock each man senseless with the butt of our guns. 


‘SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOTr 121 


We will not try to kill them, but if one gets a harder blow 
than we intend we must hear up under his loss. I will 
undertake the fakir and the spy. As soon as I break 
through the hushes follow me. There can he no com- 
mands given, for no one must speak; unless the surprise is 
complete they will conquer us, as they outnumber us. You 
must each knock down three or four foes, so you must he 
as quick as cats.^’ 

‘^Your plan pleases me, Effendi,” said the guide as we 
started. cannot depend on my aim, hut the butt of 
my vision gun will make these fellows see stars.^’ 

We reached the spot where I had been hidden without 
being seen, and found everything as it had been a short 
time before. It took a little time to place my men and 
indicate to them what each one was to do. Then I hid 
in a good position, and each of us kept his eyes fixed on 
his appointed prey. When I saw that everything was ready 
I sprang through the bushes into the clearing, turned to 
the right, and with two rapid blows knocked the fakir and 
the spy senseless. Behind me a mighty wind seemed to he 
rushing through the bushes — ^my ‘^Asaker’^ were following 
me. A few feet from my victims sat four men, so stunned 
by my sudden appearance that they made no attempt to 
move. I knocked down the first one and the second one ; 
the third attempted defence, but I disposed of him, never- 
theless. The fourth tried to escape, but I knocked him 
down on the other three. I had taken care to strike with 
the flat side of the gun-handle, which stunned, but did not 
injure them. Then I looked around to see how the rest 
were getting on, for six men was my allowance. It was a 
scene never to be forgotten. The ^^Asaker” had obeyed 
my injunction and worked in silence, with the anticipated 
result, for this very silence had increased the horror of the 


5 


122 ^‘SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOTr 

onslaught. Beyond the fact that it is never pleasant to 
see men stricken down, it would have been a delight to the 
eye of a soldier to see how the "'Asaker^' performed their 
task. From the instant when I had sprung through the 
bushes, to that when the last foe had been laid low scarcely 
two minutes elapsed, and not a shot or a blow had our foes 
got in. This was the result of the surprise, such a com- 
plete, paralyzing surprise as it had never been my good luck 
to see. Even now, when it was all over, the ^^AsakeF’ re- 
mained quiet and looked to me to learn what was to be 
done next. ^ 

“Bind them all, quickly,” I cried. “Take ropes, thongs, ! 
chains, strips of your clothing, anything. There is no more ( 
need of silence; you may speak.” 

Speak ! What is the use of talking of speech in connec- 
tion with African “Asaker” in such a case? If I had said, 
“You may howl,” it would have been far from an adequate 
word for what followed. The twenty voices broke into un- 
earthly yells ; it sounded as though a hundred demons had 
broken loose — yet while they yelled they did not neglect 
to carry out my orders. 

I naturally turned my attention to the fakir and his spy. 
There was plenty of material at hand for binding the pris- 
oners, for every Bedouin carries rope with him during a 
long ride; and, besides, the long cords ornamenting and 
fastening their garments are useful in cases of necessity. 

I sat down by my would-be murderer, who shut his eyes 
to avoid seeing me, either from rage or shame, it did not 
matter which. “Hail, 0 great and renowned saint!” I 
said. “I am delighted to see you here, and I hope that 
you, too, are rejoiced to look upon my countenance.” 

“Curse you!” he growled half aloud, and without open- 
ing his eyes. 


^SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOTr m 


mistake; you meant to say Bless you! for I know 
how you have longed for me. You even sent out messen- 
gers to look for me. Unfortunately, this desire of yours 
would have been disastrous to me, for you would have shot 
down my ^Asaker’ and cut off my hands and tongue, and 
sold me to the most cruel negro chief. 

^^He is omniscient!’’ he exclaimed, opening his eyes in 
spite of himself to glance at his comrade, whose gaze did 
not wander from my face, on which it was fastened in a 
look of bitterest hatred. I nodded to the spy in a friendly 
way, and said: ^^You were quite right when you said that 
I should soon see you again, and learn to know you better. I 
hardly think you realized how truly you spoke. It was 
you who conceived the happy idea of cutting out my tongue 
and doing all the rest of those pleasant things you pro- 
posed, and you are not wrong if you anticipate finding me 
fully appreciative of your intentions.” 

“I do not understand you,” he said. ^^Why am I bound? 
Why have you attacked us? I demand to be set free.” 

^^We will fulfil your desire joyfully; you shall be re- 
lieved of your bonds when you are delivered over to the 
executioner. In the meantime meditate on the beauties of 
hTature around you, on the singular uncertainty of human 
plans, and on the terrors of death, which awaits you speed- 
ily.” So saying, I walked away to arrange for our night 
camp, well-pleased that at last the murderous old humbug 
of a fakir was come to the end of his rope. 


CHAPTER XIII. 


THE REIS EFFENDINA IN DANGER 

1 SEATED myself by the lake to eat my supper. Ben Nil and 
I were alone ; the young fellow ate hastily and waited with 
ill-concealed impatience for me to be through. I felt sure 
that he was waiting to speak to me of the fakir’s fate, and 
hardly had I put the last morsel in my mouth than he said : 
^^Effendi, I must respect the meal hour, but, now that you 
are finished, I may speak. You have promised this old 
fakir to me.” 

^Tf you mean what I think you do, I made no such prom- 
ise,” I replied. 

^^You have told me that you overheard him speaking of 
a trap laid by Ibn Asl for the Reis, which you would dis- 
cover from him; discover it, if you can, Effendi, and deliver 
him over to me, for by our customs and laws I have the 
right to punish him.” 

Allah will punish him,” I said. ^^Listen to me, Ben 
Nil; he is a graybeard, a feeble man, with no power to 
defend himself. Have you the heart to thrust a knife into 
his breast?” 

^Tle had the heart to bury you and me alive in a tomb, 
and to-day he had planned to commit more than twenty 
murders. If you are merciful to him, you sin against Al- 
lah, who is your God as well as mine.” 

^That is true,” agreed the leader of the ^^Asaker.” ^‘We 
were all of us to be slain at his hands, and we all have a 
right to claim the blood of this wholesale murderer.” 

124 


THE REIS EFFENDINA IN DANGER. 


125 


^'Eight ! That is right,” cried all the ^^Asaker,” who had 
come up to hear my decision. “Do you hear, Effendi?” 
asked the leader. “Will you take away the rights of us all? 
If you do, you must he prepared for us to assume them 
ourselves.” 

I had already thought of this, for I knew the soldiers 
were furious against our prisoners; only the debt of grati- 
tude they owed me had prevented them taking matters in 
their own hands from the first, and tearing Abd Asl limb 
from limb. It would be useless for me to attempt to en- 
force obedience on this point till we got to Khartum, and 
if my authority were set aside in this case it would never 
be reestablished. Kesolving to temporize, I said: “Will 
you consider it just if I give the fakir into Ben MFs hands, 
to deal with as he sees fit?” 

“Perfectly just,” assented the leader, while the “Asaker” 
repeated the words. 

“Then, Ben Nil, he is yours,” I said to my young lieu- 
tenant. “But before you deal with him I must try to find 
out what the plot is against the Eeis Efiendina. We will 
drag the prisoners, or, rather, the fakir and the spy, to 
one side, and you shall sit down in front of them to guard 
them. I will creep around behind them, and when I am 
concealed you shall withdraw, leaving them, as they will 
think, alone. I hope that they may speak of Ibn Asl’s 
whereabouts, and of his plans; it is useless to question 
either of them, for they will answer, of course, but it 
would be folly to expect to learn the truth.” 

Ben Nil agreed to this plan gladly, and we carried it out. 
Certain of the “Asaker” dragged the old fakir and his 
spy over to a thick group of balm of gilead trees, and Ben 
Nil came in a few moments and sat down before them on 
guard. Covered by the trees and shrubs, I passed around 


126 


THE REIS EFFENDINA IN DANGER. 


behind the prisoners, and lying down, crawled up within 
hearing distance, seen, of course, by Ben Nil, whose face 
was toward me, but unseen and unheard by them. When 
Ben Ml saw that I had taken up my position he rose, wan- 
dered up and down restlessly, and finally sauntered off with 
the air of a person who was weary and suspected no danger. 
No sooner did the prisoners see that they were left to 
themselves than they began to talk. 

^^Quick, quick, before he comes back!’^ exclaimed the 
spy. ^^Have you thought of any plan of escape?” 

^^None whatever,” said the older sinner, grimly. 

^^But we must concoct one!” 

know of none. May Allah burn this accursed Effendi 
in the deepest pit of torture! If only you could get away! 
You are young, and how quickly could you fiy to the 
Oschefireh (island) Hassanieh and alarm my son! He 
would come down the Nile with his followers and strike 
across to us from Makani or Katena, where he has left his 
ship, and set us free. The Eeis Effendina would escape 
my son in that case, for he has him entrapped in the 
Oschefireh, where there are thick, dark woods, past which 
the Eeis can never come alive. But I am certain my son 
would postpone his revenge on the Eeis Effendina to rescue 
his father and capture this accursed giaour, whom he hates 
a thousand times more. However, since you cannot es- 
cape, what is the use of thinking of what might be?” 

Fortune had favored me; whatever might be said after 
this was not iinportant, so I began to retreat, seeing which 
Ben Nil sauntered up and once more resumed his post. 

The discovery that I had made altered the plans of our 
journey, for instead of pushing on directly to Khartum I 
must go to this island of which Abd Isl had spoken, and 
do what I could to rescue the Eeis Effendina from the dan> 


THE REIS EFFENDINA IN DANGER. 


127 


ger threatening him. Evidently, too, this danger was immi- 
nent, and th(}re was no time to lose. I dispatched an 
^^Askeri” to take Ben NiPs place guarding the prisoners, 
and summoned that faithful friend to me. Ben Nil 
thought I had sent for him to speak of his revenge on the 
fakir, now that I had done that for which I had stipulated 
before the old man should be killed. Without waiting to 
hear what I might say, he saluted me with the words : ‘‘Ef- 
fendi, as I sat before that hoary old sinner I considered 
that it was, as you say, a serious matter to take life, and 
that wicked though he is, this man is old. You are right; 
it is unworthy of my strength to kill a grayheard, and I 
will leave him to the justice of Allah and his earthly 
judges.^^ 

“Spoken like a brave man, for he only deserves the 
name who spares weakness, and shows mercy to the help- 
less,” I cried, clasping the young man’s hand heartily, 
delighted to find better counsels prevailing with his un- 
tutored sense of right and wrong. “x\nd now, listen to 
what I have to tell you.” And I repeated to Ben Nil the 
conversation I had heard. 

It might be too late to warn the Keis Effendina, but the 
attempt must be made, and if it were too late he must be 
rescued from the hands of Ibn Asl. It would be impos- 
sible to make anything like speed, encumbered with pris- 
oners twice our own number; these must be left behind, 
and, though I should have greatly preferred intrusting the 
command of my little force to Ben Nil than to any one else, 
I could not make, this journey quite alone, and there was 
no one else whom I would be willing to take with me. So 
I delegated my authority to the leader of the “Asaker,” 
reluctantly and anxiously, but realizing that it was better 
that the prisoners should escape than that the Keis Effendina 


128 


THE REIS EFFENDINA IN DANGER. 


should be sacrificed. The Fessarah guide would be a val- 
uable assistant to the ‘‘Askeri” leader, and was to conduct 
the caravan to the village of Hegasi, which lay near the 
island of Hassanieh, where I was to await them. And thus 
having arranged matters as best I could, Ben Nil and I set 
out on our desperate enterprise of rescuing the Keis Ef- 
fendina. 

The Oschefireh Hassanieh was seventy-five good miles 
from the lake where we had captured Abd Asl; our splen- 
did camels covered the distance in two davs, but they were 
so tired as they neared the end of the journey that we were 
obliged to let them go slowly. It was toward evening when 
we reached Hegasi, which is a miserable little hamlet con- 
sisting of a few huts, lying high on the bank of the 
Nile, apparently well protected from the river’s inundation. 
A road led down to the river from the village, ending at 
the place where the boats landed and camels were watered, 
such places being called on the Upper Nile ^^mischrah.” 

I was glad to see the river again, for I had not caught 
a glimpse of it since I had gone to the rescue of the Fes- 
sarah. We led our camels down to drink, not less glad 
than their masters to see Father Nile at the end of their 
long journey. Just above the “mischrah,” on the height, 
sat a man who did not appear to belong to the village. He 
was better clad than the dwellers in Hegasi, and was fully 
armed. No one knew anything about him, beyond the 
fact that he had arrived early the previous day, having 
been rowed ashore from a ship which had passed up the 
river ; that he had taken up this position as soon as he had 
come, apparently watching for a ship, and that he had a 
fleet horse ready saddled below; evidently, as soon as he 
espied whatever he might be awaiting he was to ride fast 
to carry tidings to some one. I inquired if a ship which 


THE REIS EFFENDINA IN DANGER. 


129 


was striking in appearance, being neither a ^^dahabijeh’’ 
nor a ^^noquer,^^ an old craft, had passed, and on being told 
that it had not, felt most uneasy, for no one could have 
failed to notice the Reis Effendina’s ship from her peculiar 
build, and if she had not been seen it showed she had not 
passed beyond I bn Asl’s reach. Putting this fact with 
the presence of the sentinel on the height, I felt sure that 
he was an emissary of the slave-dealer’s, watching for the 
Reis, and I resolved to try what I could do with him. 

Ben Nil lay in the grass watching the doings of the vil- 
lagers ; I sauntered up the height toward the stranger, who 
was eying me sharply. 

^^Allah send thee a happy evening,” I said, when I had 
come up with him, showing by the formal politeness of the 
unabridged greeting that I wished to be especially agree- 
able. 

‘^Happy evening,” he responded curtly. 

‘‘1 have no net with me to protect myself from river 
gnats,” I said. Is there any place in the village where I 
can get one?” 

‘^1 do not know. I do not belong here.” 

^^Then you, too, are a stranger ? May Allah guide your 
journey.” 

^^And yours. Whence come you?” 

^Trom Khartum,” I replied, forced to deception. 

^^What are you ?” 

I tried to look very crafty, as I replied hesitatingly: 
deal in everything, but chiefly in — I interrupted myself 
with a gesture intended to convey that I had said more 
than I meant to. 

^^In forbidden wares ?” the stranger asked eagerly. 

"If they were forbidden how could I admit it ?” 


130 


THE REIS EFFENDINA IN DANGER. 


could safely tell me; I would never betray you; 
and how can a man do business if he never speaks of it?’’ 

^There is no chance of doing business now.” 

“There might be. I like discreet and silent men. What 
have you come here for?” 

His manner had become eager and very friendly. I saw 
my conjecture was right, and I was succeeding in making 
him think me a slave-trader, like his master. 

“I came to purchase,” I said. 

“To purchase what?” 

“That,” I answered, nodding and laughing mysteriously. 

“Let us speak frankly; in any case, you may trust me. 
Have you ever heard of Ibn Asl?” 

“The greatest of us — ^the famous slave-dealer?” I added, 
as though correcting myself. 

“You were going to say the greatest of us!” cried the 
man, triumphantly. “Tell me frankly: would you like to 
buy slaves, and have you money?” 

“Frankly, then, that is my errand, and I have plenty of 
money. What of Ibn Asl?” 

“He is near here, and he can sell you what you want. 
I will take you to him.” 

“But Ibn Asl does not know me, nor I him. It would 
be putting my head into the lion’s jaws if he distrusted 
me, or objected to my coming.” 

“Can you not give us proof that you are what you claim 
to be? If you are a slave-dealer you must know some of 
Ibn Asl’s associates.” 

“I have met his father, Abd Asl, and I know the Mok- 
kadem of the Kadirine in Cairo; Abd el Barak would re- 
member me, I am sure.” And indeed I was, for he had 
scarcely forgotten a man who had snatched his two child 
slaves from his very hands. 


THE REIS EFFENDINA IN DANGER. 131 

it possible! Then I am the more rejoiced that we 
met. You will find yourself among friends. We will start 
after the ^Aschia.^ I must wait here till that hour, for I 
am watching for the ship of the Reis Effendina, which 
must pass this wajj, and to destroy which Ibn Asl is hidden 
down the river.” 

will go with you gladly. The Reis Effendina is the 
agent of the govornment to stop our trade, is he not? Will 
Ibn Asl catch him, think you?” 

^Tt is absolutely certain, and when he does we shall never 
be troubled with the Reis again. Abd Asl may return at 
any moment. He has gone to capture a Christian Effendi 
who is returning from the Fessarah country, where he has 
taken women of that tribe whom Ibn Asl had captured, and 
this accursed cur rescued.” 

^^A Christian? What has he to do with us? And when 
Abd Asl has captured him what is to be his fate for such 
meddling?^ 

^‘He has nothing to do with us, but he is a friend of the 
Reis Effendina. As to his fate, it will be the most horrible 
that we can devise. See, the sun is setting; we must say 
the ^Mogreb.^ ” 

As I had been transformed into a Moslem slave-trader, it 
would never do for me to sit bolt upright while all other 
faithful followers of the Prophet knelt in praver, so I went 
back to Ben Nil and knelt beside him. 

As soon as he had finished reciting the prayer I whis- 
pered to him : ^^Attend to what I say ! I am a slave-dealer 
from Suez, and am called Amm Selad. You are my servant, 
named Omar. We know Abd Asl and the Mokkadem, from 
whom we have bought slaves. We have just come from 
Khartum, and are bound up the Nile.” 

‘‘Very well, Effendi, replied the young man. 


132 


THE REIS EFFENDINA IN DANGER. 


heaven’s name, don’t nse that word, or we are lost! 
We are going to Ibn Asl to purchase slaves. It is a dan- 
gerous undertaking; if you have any desire to be out of 
it I will pardon your returning alone.” 

‘^Sir, I will go whither you go, and if it is into danger, so 
much the less will I forsake you.” 

^^Good! You are a brave, true fellow. I expected no less 
of you. Now I must return to my new friend; in an hour, 
at the ^Aschia,’ we are to start. We are waiting for the Eeis’ 
ship.” 

For another hour I sat on the height, my eyes straining 
up the Nile no less anxiously than my companion’s, though 
not anxious for the same end. If the Eeis did appear be- 
fore I had a chance to warn him he was certainly lost. 
The moments slipped past, and he did not come. The 
^^Aschia,” the prayer ordained for the hour after sunset, 
was said, and we mounted and began the ride which was to 
bring me, for life or death, into the nresence of the dreaded 
Ibn Asl. For an hour we rode directly southward into the 
interior, then we turned eastward toward the river again. 
Some trees came in sight, increased in number, and at last 
we found ourselves in a wood. Our guide left us to wait at 
the outskirt of the woods, while he rode on to announce 
our coming to Ibn Asl. 

“Are you afraid, Effendi?” whispered Ben Nil when we 
were alone. 

“No; but I am most anxious,” I replied. 

“And I also,” he said. “If we are recognized we are 
lost.” 

“There is no one there who knows us; still, we must be 
exceedingly cautious. Whatever happens, we must not 
allow ourselves to be separated, for two are not too many 
to protect each other.” 


THE REIS EFFENDINA IN DANGER. 


133 


Our guide was not gone more than ten minutes; he re- 
turned, bowed, and said: 

“My lord is ready to receive you.” 

It was pitch black night, and under the trees not even 
the light of the stars penetrated; hut after we had gone a 
few feet we saw the light of camp-fires coloring the water 
of the Nile a golden red. 

Straight ahead was a clearing, in which all vegetation 
had been cut down. In the middle burned a fire, around 
which we saw more than a hundred men, half clad, and of 
all shades of color. At one side, a little distance from the 
larger fire, burned another, and here sat three men, who 
rose as we approached. One was middle-aged, heavily-built, 
and wore a full brown heard; I knew him in a moment in- 
stinctively as Ibn Asl, the renowned slave-dealer. 


CHAPTER XIV. 


IN IBN ASUS CLUTCHES, 

"Sallam,” I said, greeting Ibn Asl as I advanced. 

He made a motion commanding silence, and demanded 
my name. 

^^Amm Selad, from Snez,’^ I replied. 

‘^And this young man?’’ 

‘^Omar, my assistant,” I said, not daring to use the word 
servant lest Ben Nil should not he allowed to remain 
with us. 

^^How many slaves do you wish to buy?” 

‘^As many as I can get.” 

^^here is your market for them?” 

It would never do to allow him to cross-examine me in 
this way if I wished to impress him with my importance, 
so this time I replied curtly: ^^Wherever I get my price. 
Do you expect me to reveal my business secrets to every 
one?” 

“Amm Selad, you answer me very independently.” 

‘^Do you look for timidity in a man of my calling? Is it 
customary to question a guest in this fashion, without so 
much as asking him to be seated?” 

^^Who said that you were to be my guest?” 

‘^^No one, but I took it to be a self-evident fact.” 

‘‘Not so self-evident as you think. I must be cautious.” 

“And I equally so. If you don’t like me you need not 
bother yourself about me, for I certainly shall not exert 
myself to please you, and can take my departure. Come, 
Omar.” I turned away, as did Ben Nil. Ibn Asl stepped 
134 


IN IBN ASUS CLUTCHES. 


135 


up to us quickly and laid his hand on my arm, saying: 
"Stop! You don’t understand the situation. Whoso comes 
here to me cannot go away.” 

I looked laughingly into his face, and said: "And if I 
go, nevertheless?” 

"I shall know how to hold you.” 

"Try it!” As I said this I seized Ben ISTil’s hand and 
sprang into the woods, drawing him after me. Fortunately, 
he was quick-witted enough to move as fast as I did, and 
the action was so unexpected to Ibn Asl that we were off 
before he knew what had happened. When he realized 
that we had disappeared into the profound darkness of the 
trees he cried: "Seize them, you men! Go after them!” 

Every one that had legs to run on ran into the woods, 
searching wildly here and there. I went but about twenty 
feet, and drew Ben Nil after me into a covering of the 
thick stubble where the long "0mm Sufah” grass that 
abounds at that part of the banks of the Nile had been cut 
down. As the voices of the searchers died away around us 
I said: "Now we will go back.” 

"What! Are you not going to escape?” whispered Ben 
Nil. 

"No, indeed! I only wanted to show Ibn Asl that I 
don’t intend to be ordered to obey him. Now they are all 
out of sight; come.” 

We crept back to the campfire, where we caught up two 
pipes that the men had dropped, filled and lighted them, 
and waited. In a few moments some one spied us, and 
cried in amazement: "There they are, sitting by the fire 
smoking !” This cry was repeated from mouth to mouth, 
and they all came scuttling back, while, like Charlotte in 
Thackeray’s verses, we quietly "went on cutting bread and 
butter” — in this case the pipe took the place of the viands. 


136 


IN IBN ASUS CLUTCHES. 


^^Allah achbar — God is great cried Ibn Asl. ‘^Wbat 
ails you? We are bunting for you, and you sit here!” 

wanted to show you that if I cboose to go away I can 
go ; you could not have got us back then. But I came bere 
to transact business witb you, and I bave no desire to go 
till it is done/’ I said this so confidently that his face, up 
till then so stern and forbidding, broke into a laugh and 
he said, shaking his head : ^^Amm Selad, vou are the first 
specimen of your kind I have ever seen, but I like impu- 
dence, and you please me. Be seated with me.” 

From this moment my acquaintance with the chief vil- 
lain of the gang of slave captors made great strides, and by 
the time he had asked me the details of my past life, and I 
had entertained him with adventures that made me feel I 
ought to he at home writing for the daily papers, such unsus- 
pected talent in inventing I found myself possessed of, and 
he had allowed us to partake of a bountiful supper with 
him, he had concluded that I was really what I represented 
myself to be, and a man after his own heart besides — a 
compliment I was grateful to feel was undeserved. For, as 
his friendship and confidence in me waxed, he related to 
me the history of his own life, a history which made me 
shudder, for this man had never known what a heart or 
conscience meant. And in the course of his relations he 
reached the story of his capture of the Fessarah women, 
and then I came into the history in my own person, for 
he told me how the stranger Effendi had rescued these cap- 
tives, and how he had sent his father to overtake him, and 
that he was waiting to cut off his limbs one by one, and 
deprive him slowly of eyes, ears, nose, lips and tongue. 
This was pleasant hearing, considering that I was even 
then in his power, and that any chance at any moment 
might betray my identity to him! But, though he had 


IN IBN ASLS CLUTCHES. 


137 


talked to me so freely and cordially, and had spoken of 
being waiting there to carry ont a plot he had laid to en- 
trap the Eeis Efiendina into certain death, I had not been 
able to lead him up to telling me what form his plans had 
taken, and dared not press the point for fear of arousing 
his suspicion. So I had not accomplished much when the 
time came to turn in for the night, although he did me 
the honor to invite me to share his cabin aboard his 
^^noquer,’’ the ^^Lizard,^’ an honor not extended to Ben 
Ml in spite of a hint, which was the most I could 
venture, that I should like* to have him with me. We 
crept under the mosquito netting, which Ibn Asl held 
up for me, and he lighted a torch just long enough for me 
to see where I was, for the heat is too great and the insects 
too many in that region for a light to be comfortable in a 
close cabin. In that brief time, however, I saw that a small 
ship’s chest of tools stood near the couch assigned to me. 

Ibn Asl and I laid down each in our appointed place, 
but not to sleep, for after a few moments’ silence the rascal 
spoke : ‘^If you are not inclined to sleep I shall be glad to 
talk longer; you can lie as late in the morning as you will.” 
This gave me the opportunity I was waiting for, and I 
seized it: am not able to sleep, so I shall be glad to 

chat.” 

^^Why are you not able to sleep; are you uncomfortable?” 

‘^Oh, no; but I know you are awaiting the Eeis Ef- 
fendina, and there will be a fight.” 

‘^Are you afraid of a fight?” 

^^Not I ! I have smelled powder often, and I am far from 
a bad shot. I should like to take a hand when the row 
begins.” 

^There won’t be any powder in this case, for it must be 
done in perfect stillness. But if you feel like breaking the 
heads of a few ^Asaker’ I have no objections.” 


138 


IN IBN ASVS CLUTCHES. 


if s to be blows, and not shots ! It is just the same 
to me; I shall gladly be there in any case. But how are 
we to get from your ^noquer’ on board the Eeis Eifendina^s 
&hip?^^ 

^^We shall take good care not to get on board. Fire is 
better than powder or blows. Listen to me; Fll tell you 
my plan, for it can do no harm, and I am proud of it. Did 
you see those piles of ^Omm Sufah^ grass on deck?^^ 

^^Of course; they are big enough.^^ 

“I had it cut down and laid there ready. Did you see 
the casks which are close to the grass 

^^Yes.^^ 

^^They are filled with destruction to the Eeis. They are 
casks of oil.^^ 

‘^Oil! Ah, I begin to understana! But how can you 
get this oil on board his ship?” 

^Dn board ! I don’t mean to get it on the ship, but to it. 
When my sentinel comes from Hegasi to tell me the Eeis 
is there I shall divide my force and place^ half on each side 
of the island. When the ship has come down so far that 
she cannot escape, the oil will be emptied in the river and 
the dried grass thrown on top of it. The oil will spread 
over the water and surround the ship in a sea of fire, from 
which she cannot possibly escape. What do you think of 
my plan?” 

I was horror-stricken, but controlled myself sufficiently 
to say: ‘Tt is magnificent, wonderful! I don’t believe 
another man on earth could have conceived it. Most peo- 
ple would have put an end to the Eeis alone, but you have 
thought out a way to burn all his crew and soldiers alive. 
It is wonderful!” 

^‘Yes, I am proud of this idea, and the best of it is that 
it cannot fail. But I am getting sleepy and we will try to 


IN IBN ASUS CLUTCHES. 


139 


sleep, and be fresh to enjoy the fine spectacle of the burn- 
ing ship. Good rest. I will waken you if you sleep too 
late.^^ 

It was not likely that I should oversleep, nor sleep at 
all. What was I to: do? Could it be possible that a human 
being had thought out such a fiendish scheme? One thing 
was certain; its execution must be prevented, but how? 
If Ben Nil and I could steal away, slip back to Hegasi and 
warn the Eeis it would be the simplest and best plan, but I 
had no idea where Ben Nil was, and the risk and delay of 
looking for him was too great. There was but one thing 
to do, and I resolved to do it. I waited until Ibn AsFs 
regular breathing announced his slumber, and then I arose. 
Softly, slowly and most cautiously I lifted the mosquito 
net and crawled out on the deck. But before I left the 
cabin I groped in the chest of tools, found and pocketed 
a small gimlet, without which I could not carry out my 
plan. 

There was no one in sight on deck; everything lay in 
the deep shadow of the half-light of the stars, silent and 
motionless. I made my way over to the casks and exam- 
ined them. They stood close to the side of the ship, ready 
to be thrown over quickly. Each of the casks must have 
two holes made in it, one to let the air in, the other to let 
the oil out. I made the holes, taking care not to come in 
contact with the oil, for if I brought the slightest odor of 
petroleum back into the cabin on my clothes I was lost. It 
took me, perhaps, a quarter of an hour to accomplish my 
task. Then I washed the gimlet clean in the river, and 
crawled back to the cabin as carefully as I had left it. Not 
a movement indicated that Ibn Asl had been disturbed, and 
I lay down again to consider the danger that threatened 
Ben Nil and me when the discovery that the casks were 


140 


IN IBM ASLS CL UTCHES. 


empty was made. It was not a pleasant prospect that 
opened out before me, yet, in spite of it, my heart was 
light, for I had done what I came to do, had delivered 
the Reis Etfendina, and the relief of that thought made me 
fall asleep in spite of the dismal outlook for ourselves. 

I slept late, and was awakened by Ibn Asl calling : ^^Get 
up, Amm Selad! You must have slept enough, for the sun 
has long arisen, and there will soon be something for you 
to do ; the Reis Etfendina is coming.” 

This woke me thoroughly, and I instantly sprang up. I 
looked at him searchingly, but nothing in his face indi- 
cated that he knew what I had done. 

‘‘Yes, yes,” he repeated, nodding his head. “The hour 
has come. Go above ; your coffee is ready for you.” 

I went up, and as soon as I had taken my breakfast Ben 
Nil joined me. “You have slept long, sir,” he said, re- 
proachfully. “Have you forgotten what is to be done?” 

“I have not only remembered it, but I have done it,” I 
said. 

“What do you mean? I have not been able to sleep at 
all for anxiety about the Reis Effendina. Two of the ship’s 
officers spent the night with me, and they told me that the 
Reis was to be burned. Only think of it !” 

“Ibn Asl told me the same thing; the oil was in those 
casks down below.” 

“For heaven’s sake, what shall we do? Here is the Reis 
'coming now, and there is the oil ready. It is awful, hor- 
rible I And yet you have slept, and not bothered about it 
|at all.” 

“Don’t Jump at conclusions! It is not so bad as you 
think. I bored the casks in the night; the oil has all run 
out.” 

“Allah il Allah! Is that actually true?” 


IN IBN ASUS CLUTCHES. 


141 


^^Yes; it was not very difficult, and the oil must have 
been remarkably pure, or else this strong wind has blown 
away all odor of it,- which is a fortunate thing for us.” 

can^t see anything fortunate about it, sir. When it 
is discovered the suspicion will fall on us.” 

^‘Very likely; hut who can prove anything?” 

^^Such people as these do not ask for proof; we must es- 
cape — escape this moment!” 

^^It would certainly he the best thing to do, if it could 
he done, hut there is not the slightest chance of it now, with 
everybody on the alert, and in broad daylight.” 

Hardly had I spoken than Ibn Asl sprang up the ladder 
and came dcwn upon us, with a very different face than I 
had last seen him wear. While several of his followers 
closed around us, he came up to me and said threaten- 
ingly: “You did not expect this! You seem to have a 
long head, so I had to catch you craftily, hut I have done 
it. You must he a fool to think you can deceive Ibn Asl.” 

“I am surprised at such words,” I said. “By what right 
do you address me thus?” 

“Oh, you don’t know!” he sneered. “I have heard all 
that you have said. You have dared to empty my casks; 
you shall pay the full price of your treachery. You accom- 
plished nothing by it, for a messenger has just come to me 
announcing that the Eeis Effendina has marched by land, 
taking his men from his ship. But you cannot he a slave- 
dealer if you sympathize, and secretly try to rescue, this 
confounded officer of the government. What you are I will 
discover, and when I know I will pay my debt to you down 
to the last piaster. Bind them, men; you are my pris- 
oners.” 

We were seized, and hound hand and foot, and so tightly 
that the flesh was cut by the ropes. Before I had a chance 


142 


IN IBN ASUS CLUTCHES. 


to expostulate with Ibn Asl, even had such expostulation 
been of any avail, he was summoned to the shore, where 
a rider had just dismounted from his camel, as we could 
see from where we lay, and had sent one of Ibn AsFs men 
after his master ; evidently, he was a messenger. 

It was not long before the slave captor returned, in 
worse humor than he had gone away. He did not look 
toward me, but said to his lieutenant : ^^My father and all 
his men have been captured by that accursed foreign Ef- 
fendi, whom the devil has taken under his protection. 
That man who is now following me to the ship was one of 
i/hem, and he has escaped and ridden here to tell me the 
tidings. How do I know that you, you humbugging slave- 
dealer, you, Amm Selad, are not in collusion with this devil 
from across the seas?’^ he added, turning to me fiercely. 

^^You donT,^^ I said, coolly. ‘^‘^There are a great many 
things you do not know; that is one of them.^’ 

^^You dare answer me thus?’^ he cried, kicking me. 

^^You dare kick me because I am bound; wait, my turn 
will come.^’ 

A small boat came alongside at this moment, from which 
a man sprang lightly up the gangway. I should not have 
known him, although he was clad like the men who had 
been with Abd Asl, but my face was turned toward him as 
I lay, and as he advanced and saw me he stopped short, 
crying: ^^The Effendi and Ben Nil! Praise be to Allah 
and the Prophet that you have captured them; but why 
did you not tell me so?” 

^^Ben Nil! The Effendi! Allah achbar!” cried Ibn 
Asl, falling backward in his surprise and joy. Then bend- 
ing over me with his face blackening with the rage that 
overpowered him, when he remembered all that had hap- 
pened between us, he hissed: ^^You are in my power at 


IN IBM ASLS CLUTCHES. 


143 


last, at last! You shall be tortured by all the tortures 
the human brain can invent. Do you realize, do you know, 
you cur, what lies before you?” 

^‘1 know that in the Far West, whence I come, we are 
taught it is not polite to call names. I know, too, that if 
my case is desperate there is one who is no better off, and 
that is your father, who is old and fears death like a cow- 
ard, or an old man.” Ihn Asl tried to speak, but he could 
not, and foam stood on his black lips, mingled with blood 
as he bit them. 

“Keep cool,” I said. “If you kill me your fathers blood 
is on your head, for I have ordered that if I am not back 
at a certain time he is to be executed. If you set Ben Nil 
and me free, uninjured, so shall you have your father back 
once more; if I die, he dies; if we suffer, so in like man- 
ner shall he suffer.” 

Ibn Asl sprang up, paced up and down the deck, vainly 
striving to get himself under control. I could see when 
he turned our way that a struggle between duty and what 
little natural affection the man had was going on within 
his breast. I watched the signs of it with intense interest 
and anxiety. At last, he came over to us and kicked 
me again with the concentrated force of the fight he had 
been going through. “I have decided,” he said hoarsely, 
“if my father must die, then let him die; he has lived 
long enough, anyway. It is worth all other loss to gain the 
pleasure of torturing you, and I shall find a way of adding 
something to the pain I meant to inflict on you to pay for 
my father’s death. Take these men and throw them into 
the prison ; I will follow to see that they are safe.” 

Four big, bronze fellows took Ben Nil and me by our 
head and feet and carried us down somewhere into the 
hold of the ship. We were thrust, with blows and insults, 


144 


IN IBN ASUS CLUTCHES. 


into a place that seemed a sort of dark pit, and Ibn Asl fol- 
lowed immediately to test our bonds and make sure that 
he actually had us secure. Satisfied on this point, he stood 
astride of us like an evil Colossus of Khodes, and laughed 
with diabolical joy over his triumph. 

^^Look at them! Look at the Effendi, who thought he 
was mightier than all the sons of the desert and the fol- 
lowers of the Prophet I Ibn Asl has shown him that there 
are men mightier than he! You dog, you son of dogs and 
beloved of Sheitan, the father of evil, I have you now! 
Lie there and wait till I am pleased to begin your slow kill- 
ing, and meditate on the skill with which I shall torture 
you !’’ So saying, he turned away, bidding the guards beat 
us with their great whips if Ben Nil and I attempted to 
speak to each other. The door swung to behind him, the 
heavy bolts slipped into their place. We were alone, pris- 
oners in the hands of Ibn Asl. 


CHAPTEE XV. 


SLIPPED THROUGH HIS FINGERS. 

Foe an hour, it may be — it seemed like an eternity — ^we 
lay in the utter darkness, not speaking, and unable to 
move. 

At last we heard a slight scratching sound, which 
ceased, began again, and was followed by a light tapping. 
Then our door was shaken, but very carefully, and when 
we made no sound a voice whispered: ^^Effendi, do you 
hear me?^^ 

‘^Yes,^’ I replied. 

have been appointed your guard. I am the man who 
brought you here from Hegasi yesterday. Ibn Asl would 
kill me if he knew that I had told you all that I did tell 
you during that hour when we were waiting to start. I beg 
you not to destroy me, but keep my indiscretion secret.” 

Ah, thank God! Here was a glimmer of light in the 
darkness I I had not thought again of certain private mat- 
ters of Ibn AsFs of which he had told me, but I instantly 
resolved to use the advantage his chattering gave me. 

am sorry, but I don’t see how I can spare you,” I said. 

^‘You do not! Ah, Allah pity me! Will you not be 
merciful, you, a Christian?” 

^^A Christian does not love his life less than a Moslem.” 

^^But you cannot save yourself by repeating what I have 
told you.” 

^^You are mistaken; you said a great deal that I can turn 
to my account.” 

^^0 Allah! 0 Mahomet! Then I am lost !” 

145 


146 


SLIPPED THROUGH HIS FINGERS. 


I made no reply, and for awhile he, too, was silent. I 
waited the effect of my threat. It was not long before I 
heard the light tap again, and my guard murmured. ^^Ef- 
fendi, listen; what if you could escape?’^ 

^^That would he most fortunate, certainly, for you 
as well as for me, for then I should not have to betray you.'’’ 

^^It is impossible, absolutely impossible ! You are bound, 
you will be guarded; and if these obstacles were removed 
how could you get away from the ship?” 

‘'^There is nothing in these three points to make my es- 
cape impossible. I only need some one to help me.” 

^‘'It would be dangerous, Effendi.” , 

^^Not at all; the only thing the person must do is to bring 
me a thin, sharp knife, and plan with me the best time for 
me to use it.” 

There was a long pause; evidently he was considering. 
Then he said: ‘'^You shall have the knife as soon as I 
can come back here, and — ^h’sh! some one is coming!” 
It was Ibn Asl, who came with a clay lamp to see that we 
were still safe in his possession, and our bonds not unloosed 
in some miraculous way. The light of the lamp showed 
me that the fierce heat of the Soudan had warped the 
boards of the walls, opening cracks in them, many of 
which were wider than the thickness of a strong knife. I 
looked at the bolt; it was not one that would be hard to 
shove back. My heart beat so high in the joy of this dis- 
covery that I scarcely heard the insults with which Ibn Asl 
gratified his hatred by pouring upon me. His visit was 
brief, and when he was safely beyond hearing our fellow- 
conspirator returned: ^^Eflendi,” he whispered, ‘The crew 
will be ashore to-night, and will not come aboard till late.” 

“Good! Will you see to it that some fellow who de- 
serves punishment is on guard here when our attempt is 


SLIPPED THROUGH HIS FINGERS. 


147 


made, so tha^t when our flight is discovered at least no 
worthy person suffers for it? Where are our weapons?’^ 

^^In Ibn Asl’s cabin. He will keep them for himself.’’ 
must get them, otherwise there would be no use in 
trying to escape. I want to reward you if you serve me 
well in this affair; nothing has been taken from our pock- 
ets. Ibn Asl evidently thinks he has us too secure to bother 
about robbing us till we are dead. At the last moment, 
when we are about to leave the ship and I know the at- 
tempt i§ a success, I will put money for you wherever you 
consider the best place.” 

^'If you will be so good as to remember me, Effendi, 
there is no better place to leave your gift than at the head 
of the ladder, under the old palm fibre mat which lies 
there.” 

So be it; get it as soon as we are off, or some one else 
may find it. When we are at a safe distance I will imitate 
the angry cry of the long-tailed monkey which abounds 
in these woods; that is a sound which will not attract at- 
tention. When you hear it you will know that we are 
safe; go get your reward.” 

^Thank you, Effendi; I hope that I may hear it, and 
know that you are safe. Here is the knife; make the at- 
tempt after you hear me pass here, and bid the guard watch 
you well. Farewell; Allah prosper your undertaking.” 

He drew the bolt very softly, slipped the knife through 
the door, closed it, made it fast again, and in a moment I 
heard him talking to one of the crew about the Eeis Ef- 
fendina having gone around by land, and the likelihood 
of Ibn Asl overtaking him. 

The moments crept by. I heard the crew going ashore, 
and waited to see if our assistant in this desperate scheme 
would keep his word. Yes, he was faithful to his fear for 


148 


SLIPPED THROUGH HIS FINGERS. 


his own safety, and the desire for gain ; he came presently, 
tried the bolt and door of our prison, bade the guard watch 
us well, and went away. The time had come. I picked 
up the knife from the corner where I had thrown it lest 
Ibn Asl should visit us again and discover it, and shoved 
and rolled myself over to Ben Ml. My hands were tied 
to my back, and it was a dangerous thing to try to cut the 
ropes that bound his hands, for it was almost impossible 
not to cut him. Finding the knife-point with the fingers 
of the left hand, I thrust it into the ropes, and did succeed 
in cutting them. Ben Ml shook his hands free, and it 
was the work of but a moment for him to cut the thongs 
around his ankles, and liberate me. I thrust the blade of 
the knife through a convenient crack in the door and 
shoved back the bolt. We opened the door just far enough 
to admit our bodies and crept out. The guard had his back 
toward us as I came out, but turned in time to see Ben 
Ml. Before he could utter a sound I seized him around 
the throat, and he collapsed from lack of breath and fright. 
I bound him with his girdle, and gagged him with his fez. 

The next step was to go above, a risky climb, which we 
accomplished safely. A fire burned on the shore, and 
lighted the deck just enough to guide us; by its light I saw 
that no one was about, and came fully on deck. I took 
from my wallet a sum of money which would generously 
requite our self-seeking friend for his share in our escape 
and hid it in the place he had designated. The most im- 
portant part of our enterprise was to get our weapons, and 
we crawled as fast as we could on our hands and knees to 
Ibn Asks cabin. We found them quickly, thrust them into 
our girdles, ^^And now for the boat,” I whispered. ^^The 
tender lies under the bow; we must jump into her and row 
swiftly and silently up stream in the shadow.” 


SLIPPED THROUGH HIS FINGERS. 


149 


We could not see whether or not the oars were in the 
boat, but trusted to finding them there, since we did not 
see them on deck. There was something white in the bot- 
tom of the boat, and my heart leaped for joy when Ben Nil 
called my attention to it, whispering that it was the sail. 
I sprang over the side of the ship first, and Ben Nil rose 
to follow me. The light of the fire blazed up that instant, 
and one of the men on shore discovered him. He took in 
the situation at a glance and gave warning, shouting : ^^The 
prisoners are out! The prisoners are out!” 

^^Run down the deck astern, Ben Nil,” I said. ^^Dive 
off under the shadow of the sail and swim here ; they must 
think we are hiding on the ship.” 

Without a moment’s hesitation he obeyed me, and in 
five minutes’ time I pulled him into the small boat and 
we began rowing swiftly, close to the opposite shore from 
the one where the crew had been sitting, under the shadow, 
made deeper by the light opposite. 

In the meantime the crew were making all speed back 
to the ship. We heard them rushing up and down the 
deck, shouting, swearing, and above all the hubbub rose 
Ibn Asl’s harsh voice roaring: ^^Where are they? Look, 
look for them! They are hiding in the cabin, the dogs! 
Catch them; quick, quick!” 

We rowed up the stream, beyond the range of guns, and 
Ben Nil said: ^^You can give the cry you agreed upon, for 
we are safe.” 

know something better than that; I didn’t think of 
it before,” I said. am going to have a little fun with 
Ibn Asl.” I had always been a bit of a ventriloquist, and 
at school used to entertain the boys that way. I felt like 
an uncommonly jolly schoolboy, who had escaped a rather 
severe punishment and could not resist the chance for a 


150 


SUPPED THROUGH HIS FINGERS, 


prank. Standing up in the boat I put my hands to my lips, 
threw my voice apparently on the shore Ibn Isl had just 
quitted, and cried: ‘^Ibn Asl! Ibn Asl! come catch usP 

‘‘The dogs! They are yonder,” we heard Ibn Asl roar. 
“Shoot them, shoot them!” 

Several shots rang out; then, making my voice sound as 
if it came from underneath the ship, I called: “Come 
down after us; come down!” 

“He has a devil!” shrieked Ibn Asl at the top of his 
voice. “I always knew it ! Now he has gone down below 
to his master.” 

It was still too risky to keep up this sort of sport long. 
I resisted the temptation to try another locality, for I knew 
that at any moment they were likely to discover the loss 
of the boat. We bent to our oars, rowing for life and free- 
dom, and soon had gone far enough to make it safe to hoist 
the sail. There was a strong breeze blowing on the river, 
just right for the little boat we had impressed into our 
service, and we sped away from our foes at a speed that 
soon made pursuit by a larger craft impossible. 

It was late in the night when we approached Hegasi. 
Through the darkness a little light glimmered over the 
water, and soon we saw the hulk of a ship outlined in the 
starlight, and I recognized the graceful outline and three 
slender masts of “Esch Schadin,” “The Falcon,” the Reis 
Effendina’s ship. 

We drew in our little sail, and as we did so a voice from 
the dock shouted: “A boat, here on our starboard side.” 
I whispered to Ben Nil, and we turned off as though we 
wanted to avoid being seen, whereupon another voice from 
the upper deck cried : “Stop, or I’ll shoot.” 

At that moment the alarm bell of the “Falcon” sounded, 
and in an instant all hands came on deck. I did not dare 


SLIPPED THROUGH HIS FINGERS. 151 

carry the joke any further, but lay to obediently. “Whose 
boat is this?^’ asked some one, and I recognized the voice 
of the Reis Effendina. I had no idea he had returned to 
the “Falcon,^’ and was overjoyed to hear him speak and 
know that he was safe. Not wishing him to guess that I 
was there, I whispered Ben Nil and he replied for me : “It 
is the tender of the ‘^Lizard,^ Ibn AsFs ship.’’ The effect 
of this information was electrical. Everybody uttered ex- 
clamations of surprise and rage, while the Reis said: “You 
are a bold man who announces such a fact without know- 
ing to whom you speak. Come on board.” We threw our 
rope up to the deck and were made fast. I had kept my 
face shrouded so far, and made Ben Nil climb on board 
first. Before he had fairly planted both feet on deck he 
was seized, and might have been roughly treated had I not 
followed immediately. As I appeared and threw off my 
hood the emir fell back a few steps and stared at me as 
if I had come up out of a grave. When he got his voice 
and recovered sufficiently to move, he clasped me in his 
arms with truly Eastern effusiveness. 

“Effendi!” he cried. “You here! What a joy to see 
you safely back from the country of the Fessarah ! I have 
feared for you, and I cannot tell you the happiness it is to 
see you, though I do not understand how you have come 
by one of Ibn Asl’s boats and men.” 

“It is a long story, emir,” I replied. “This is not one of 
Ibn Asl’s men, but my own true Ben Nil, of whom you 
have heard from your lieutenant.” 

Before I could say more a long, thin figure, with in- 
terminable legs, pressed through the crowd on deck, and 
a strident voice cried: “Effendi, 0 Effendi, my soul over- 
flows and my heart leaps with joy that my eyes behold you 
once more! I have longed for you as a loving wife longs 


152 SUPPED THROUGH HIS FINGERS. 

for her spouse. Without you my days have been dark as 
the ashes on the hearth when the fire is extinguished. Now 
new life rushes through my veins, and my wisdom and my 
courage shall again protect you. .Welcome, Effendi!^^ This 
was a most poetical salutation, yet must I confess it? even 
with its flowery figures echoing in my ears, I did not feel 
umnixed delight in recognizing Selim 1 

We were given coffee, and sat down to relate our adven- 
tures, the young lieutenant who had been with me in the 
rescue of the Fessarah women being as glad to see us again 
as we were to meet him. It took all the rest of the night 
to tell the emir the history of the past two weeks, and I 
was interrupted many times with questions and exclama- 
tions, and cries of the emir’s men to be led at once in pur- 
suit of Ibn Asl. 

^^We really must start before dawn, you and Ben Nil 
and I. Time is precious. I think it would be well for us 
to separate, you to pursue Ibn Asl, while I ride back to 
meet my caravan, which I left to come and warn you. 
Ibn Asl will be mad with rage over our escape, and he will 
hasten after my caravan to set our prisoners free, with the 
hope at the same time of capturing us there again. My 
idea is that you can take your men around to intercept 
him and set a trap for him into which he must walk, with 
the double attraction of liberating his father, and getting 
me into his hands again to draw him. I feel sure that he 
will abandon the pursuit of you for the time, until he has 
accomplished this pretty piece of revenge.” 

‘^And your idea is that I am to head him off, and capture 
him? That is a well-conceived plan, Effendi. See, the 
stars are already beginning to pale; if you are ready we will 
start at once. This has been a most unsatisfactory excur- 
sion to me, but if it ends by giving into my hands the 


SLIPPED THROUGH HIS FINGERS. 


153 


worst of all the slave captors, Ibn Asl, and that old hypo- 
crite of a moss-grown villain, Ahd Asl, his father, I shall 
feel that it is a success surpassing my wildest hopes. Come 
then, Effendi,’’ added the Eeis Effendina, or the emir, as 
we more properly styled him when we addressed him, lay- 
ing his hand kindly on my shoulder. ^^Come. You are 
young, but I trust to you more than to myself to bring 
about this happy result.” 

^^Abd Asl we already have,” I said, rising, ‘^and Ibn Asl 
I feel confident of catching, if we are quick and crafty. 
I am ready, emir; let us start at once, for, as I have said, 
time is precious and we have not a second to waste.” 


CHAPTER XYI. 


THE CROCODILES REJOICE. 

Haying arranged where we were to meet again, the Reis 
Effendina and I parted. Ben Ml and I had left our camels 
in Hegasi ; they had had a long rest, and were fresh for the 
present journey. We rode all day, and the snn was but 
little above the western horizon when we came in sight of 
the trees which marked the lake appointed as the spot 
where I was to find my caravan. 

As we rode into sight we heard a voice cry: “The Ef- 
f endi I”' and instantly a chorus echoed : “The Eff endi ! The 
Efiendi and Ben Ml ! Praise be to Allah, they come, they 
come All the “AsakeE^ ran toward us, shouting and try- 
ing to touch us. We had to dismount then and there, while 
the men pressed our hands and shouted in delight that was 
very pleasant to me to witness, for it proved that I was 
not regarded as a stranger, but had won their hearts. 

Of course, the first thing was to give an account of our 
adventures, and we sat down with the old “Askeri’^ to 
whom I had intrusted the command, and recounted all 
that had befallen us since we left them to go to rescue the 
Reis Effendina. Abd Asl and his spy lay near us, a little 
apart from the other prisoners, and could hear all that I 
said. Abd Asl, stood it as long as he could, and then broke 
out in scornful laughter. “You boaster!’^ he cried. “Every- 
thing you say is a lie; you cannot deceive us. Ho one was 
ever in the hands of my son and escaped.’^ 

“Take care what you say, if you wish to spare yourself 
the whip,^^ I said, rising and going over to him. “Polite- 
ness is most becoming to a man in your situation/^ 

154 


THE CROCODILES REJOICE. 


155 


‘^1 will be silent now,” he said with a snarl, ^^bnt you 
shall hear my voice, and that soon. You shall crawl in the 
dust before me. My son will come as our avenger, and de- 
stroy you utterly.” 

It was hardly worth while answering the empty threats 
of an old sinner completely in our power, so I turned away 
with a smile to explain to the ^^Asaker” leader the next 
move in a game I confidently hoped to win. We could only 
delay long enough to rest and refresh our camels at the 
lake, and then must immediately strike across to effect 
the conjunction with the Keis Effendina which was to en- 
snare Ibn Asl on his way to wreak his vengeance on me. 

We got the prisoners on the camels, not an easy task, 
for they made it as difficult as they could, and swung off 
on the long-suffering beasts. I had not told any of the 
^^Asaker” what lay before us, lest by chance the prisoners 
might get wind of it; but after we had ridden a great part 
of the night I ordered a halt, and getting my men around 
in a circle, told them what we hoped to accomplish. If I 
had said then that each one of them was to receive a thou- 
sand piasters their joy could not have been greater. To cap- 
ture Ibn Asl and all his companions in his iniquitous trade 
by entrapping them! That was a thought which put new 
life into them. Each one wanted to be told the precise 
part he was to play in the drama, but I could not quite 
assign individual roles, since, until I had reconnoitred, I 
did not know myself exactly what was to be done. 

Midnight passed without our catching sight of a human 
being on the plain. To the right lay a small ravine, and, 
since I could not be sure that Ibn Asl might not pass 
through it, rather than over the open plain, I resolved to in- 
vestigate it by the first morning light. And, as it was pos- 
sible that he might pass out of it by the other side when I 


156 


THE CROCODILES REJOICE, 


entered it, I thought it better to leave part of my force 
where we were then camping until this was done. As soon 
as the East was streaked with red I made ready to go. I 
had received enough men from the emir to carry out my 
plan, while my own ^^Asaker’’ who had gone with me into 
the land of the Fessarah I gave into the command of the 
old ^‘^Askeri,^^ the Fessarah guide who had thus far so well 
fulfilled his duties. 

Having given him careful instructions and warned him 
to keep a sharp lookout for Ibn Asl, and above all things 
to prevent his escape, I started with the ^^Asaker,^^ Ben 
Nil accompanying me, for the ravine. 

Just beyond the ravine lay a swamp; it was here that 
the Keis Effendina was awaiting me, within hearing dis- 
tance of shots should it be necessary to summon him, or 
if I came upon Ibn Asl before he did. Everything seemed 
to be arranged so that miscarriage of our plans was 
impossible, and I marched toward the ravine confident, and 
rejoicing in coming success. When we had penetrated the 
ravine for a considerable distance we found that the marsh 
extended into it, and we were compelled to proceed by twos. 
Ben Nil and I walked together a little further, and then 
I bade him keep back and follow me with the ‘‘Asaker’^ at 
a certain distance while I went on alone. 

I turned into a narrow winding path which bent from 
left to right, and led directly into the rocks. Suddenly 
from out the shadow of the cliffs rang a voice, crying: 
^^Halt! Not a step further, or we shoot.” I stopped and 
looked around. Two trees stood side by side there, and be- 
fore them a great rock jutted out, behind which three men 
must have been hidden, for I saw as many gun muzzles 
pointed at me from it — ^a pretty bad situation to be in, for 
with but a finger pressure I could be riddled with shot. 


THE CROCODILES REJOICE, 


157 


^^Who are you?^^ I asked, in what I tried to make an 
easy, conversational tone. 

‘‘An old acquaintance of yours. Would you like to see 
me?” 

“Of course.” 

“Then lay down your weapons, and I will come out.” 

“That would be sensible !” As I said this I made a sud- 
den jump to the nearest tree, behind the trunk of which 
I was fully sheltered. 

“Put down your weapons and come over the stone 
which lies there between us. I will do the same,” said my 
“old acquaintance.” 

“Very well; 1^11 come, hut if I see the glimmer of the 
smallest weapon, the tiniest knife, you will go whence you 
cannot return.” 

I put my revolver in my trouser pocket, and stood my 
gun against the tree, with my knife beside it. I might 
have left the revolver there, too, for I was perfectly safe; a 
glance backward showed me that my followers were ready. 

I had recognized the voice which had addressed me as 
that of Ibn AsFs lieutenant, so was not surprised when I 
had taken my stand by the stone designated to see him 
come forth — but where was his master? 

The man paused a few feet from me, stood looking at me 
a moment, then said scornfully: “You did not expect to 
find me here !” 

“Yes, and no,” I replied. “I knew that you would be 
awaiting me here, yet it was not you, but Ibn Asl, for whom 
I was looking.” 

“You knew that? Allah alone knows all things,” the 
lieutenant sneered. 

“Bid Ibn Asl come here,” I said, disregarding him. 

“He is not here.” 


158 


THE CROCODILES REJOICE, 


know that he is here somewhere.” 

‘‘You know that. You are not so omniscient as you have 
the credit of being. If you really did know where Ibn Asl 
was now, you would not act quite so confidently as you do 
at present.” These words made me consider; if only I had 
left Ben Kil to guard the prisoners! However, I kept my 
uneasiness to myself and answered with a laugh: “You 
need not tell me where he is. I know enough. You are 
not sufficiently clever to deceive me, and you cannot es- 
cape the trap I have set for you.” 

“You! A trap?” He laughed scornfully. “I v/ill not 
say that Allah has stricken you with blindness, for you 
seem to see me, but I can tell you that you and your twenty 
^Asaker’ are in a trap, and not we.” 

“Then you knov,^, I suppose, that the Eeis Effendina is 
behind you with his ‘Asaker,^ and that your retreat is cut 
off?” I asked quietly. 

“The Eeis Effendina?” he gasped. “You lie!” 

“I speak the truth; and I have not twenty, but many 
more men with me. I had twenty, but yesterday the Eeis 
gave me a great many more. So I demand that you lay 
down your arms and surrender. If you resist your blood 
be on your own head; you will be thrown to the crocodiles.” 

“Effendi, you are trying to get around me by craft. I — ■ 
it canT be — ” 

“See here,” I interrupted, “it is not necessary for you 
to insult me further. I will be merciful and prove the 
truth of my words, and save unnecessary bloodshed, though 
you do not deserve it.” I put my hands to my lips, trilled 
a long, peculiar note which was used by the Eeis Ef- 
fendina’s troops, and it was echoed nearer than I had 
thought to hear it. 

“Well?” I suggested. 


THE CROCODILES REJOICE. 


159 


^‘W'hat was that?’^ 

^^What should it be but the Eeis answering my signal? 
That will announce to him that I am here, and he will ad- 
vance at once. Then look at this.” I turned and waved 
my hand. Ben Nil and his forty men rushed through the 
pass, their guns pointed at the lieutenant. As he saw this 
unwelcome sight he cried out: ^^0 Allah! There are a 
hundred men ! I surrender.” He turned, waved his hand, 
and his two comrades came forth, and all three laid their 
arms at my feet. That portion of his troops which Ibn Asl 
had left with his lieutenant were stationed at the back of 
the ravine. The Eeis Effendina found them there as he 
advanced to join me; we heard a few shots, and then the 
Eeis came in sight, calling as he came : ^^Effendi, Effendi, 
have you captured the wretch?” 

^Tbn Asl is not with his men,” I said low, going over 
where the lieutenant could not hear us. ^^He must be 
near by; let us disarm and handcuff this crowd and hurry 
back to the rest of my men, who must have caught the chief 
villain.” 

We accomplished the task of disarming very rapidly, 
secured our prisoners, and Ben Nil and I made all possible 
speed back to our ^^Asaker.” 

As soon as we got within sight of them it was evident 
that something was wrong. Three men lay on the ground, 
and the old leader, with several others were bending over 
them ; it took but a glance to see that they were dead. 

‘^How did this happen?” I asked. 

“They were shot by a stranger, Effendi,” replied the 
leader, looking up. “He said that he was sent by the Eeis 
Effendina with a message for you. These men, with two 
others, were on guard. They told him that you had gone 
to meet the Eeis and capture Ibn Asl. He asked in which 


i6o THE CROCODILES REJOICE. 

direction, and when we had told him he suddenly drew his 
revolver, fired these three fatal shots, laughed, and said 
they were a message to announce who had called on you, 
and rode away before we could recover from our surprise 
and horror.” 

^^What did he look like?” I demanded, though it needed 
no description to tell me who the murderer was. 

‘^He wore a white haik, and was not tall, hut very strong- 
ly built; he wore a full brown heard.” 

^^Of course; what kind of idiots did I intrust with this 
post? Let me congratulate you on having had a chance to 
kill or capture Ihn Asl — and of having let him slip away as 
safely as if he were a harmless turtle-dove.” 

‘^Ihn Asl! Oh, Effendi! how could we know him? He 
said he was sent by the Eeis. But since he killed our men 
and rode away so mockingly my soul has been full of fore- 
bodings that it could be no other than Ihn Asl.” 

^‘You are getting keen-witted,” I said; but Ben Hil, 
whose wrath was too mixed with disgust to allow him to 
comment on this maddening piece of stupidity, interrupted 
me. ^‘He cannot have gone far in this short time, Ef- 
fendi. Let us not waste a moment on this son and grand- 
son of stupidity,” he said. 

^'Yes, we will do what we can to avert the consequences 
of the blunder. Here, you men; some of you saddle Ben 
Niks camel and my own. We will ride after Ibn Asl. You 
are to watch the prisoners. Go, tell the Eeis Effendina 
what has happened, and say that we shall not be gone 
long.” In ‘two minutes we were in the saddle, riding like 
the wind toward the northern end of the swamp, at which 
point we were told Ibn Asl had disappeared. 

At a certain point not far away from where we had 
started Ben Ml and I separated, he to ride to the south 


THE CROCODILES REJOICE. i6i 

and I to the north. I held my gun ready for instant use, 
and kept my eyes open in all directions; but for a long 
time I saw no one. After I had ridden for perhaps seven 
miles I saw ahead of me a spot where the grass was long. 
I saw a camel lying in it, and as I looked it sprang up, as 
if at a word of command, and a man swung himself into 
the saddle. The camel, which was a magnificent one, 
broke instantly into a run, and its rider turned in the sad- 
dle and swung his gun in the air in an insolent salute. 

I was not sure that I was near enough to shoot, even if 
I had wanted to. I gave chase, hut, fast as my camel was, 
he was no match for the fleet beast the slave-dealer rode. 
He was riding across the line between me and Ben Nil, and 
when I saw that I could not overtake him I gave up the 
chase, feeling sure Ben Nil would have the chance I had 
missed. 

As I watched what was happening I saw that Ihn Asl 
made a turn to the left, as though he feared the swamp, 
and this movement brought him out of the range of Ben 
Nil’s gun. Then I saw Ben Nil come out from behind the 
hushes, where evidently he had hidden feeling certain of 
firing at his foe unseen, and fly after Ihn Asl at the best 
speed his good camel was capable of making. He had come 
a little nearer the pursued, who turned his camel away from 
the swamp, thus bringing its side toward Ben Nil and giv- 
ing him a fine chance to shoot the beast in the breast. And 
at that very instant I saw Ben Nil stop and fire. I saw the 
smoke from his gun, heard the shot, and saw that the 
white camel, which deserved a better master than it had, 
stopped short as though stunned. Then it gathered itself 
together and flew as if it had been shot from a cannon, 
urged every moment to even greater speed by its rider. 


THE CROCODILES REJOICE, 


i6a 

Once more Ben Nil fired, bnt Ibn Asl rushed onward 
toward the marsh — he had escaped! A few seconds later 
and I had joined Ben Nil, and stood with him looking after 
the diminishing white speck which represented the down- 
fall of our hopes. 

^^Your first shot struck the camel, but not the second 
one,” I said. ^^Why on earth didn’t you shoot again 
quicker?” 

was so surprised not to see the camel fall that I could 
not,” he replied. know that my first shot struck it full 
in the breast. It must have been wounded; it can’t get far; 
let us follow him.” 

^^It could not have run like that if it had been wounded,” 
I said. ^‘We will go look for traces of blood, if you like — ” 

We followed the trail of the camel, but saw not the 
smallest red drop to warrant Ben Nil’s hope that the camel 
was wounded, yet I was as sure as he that the shot had hit 
it. As we returned on foot, for we had dismounted the 
better to examine the ground, we saw something bright 
glittering in the grass just where the camel had been when 
Ben Nil fired. We picked it up; it was the spent bullet 
from Ben Nil’s gun. 

^^What a shame, what an unspeakable pity!” cried the 
young man, looking at it with tears of rage in his eyes. 
hit the ornaments on the camel’s breast-plate. The whole 
thing is spoiled by a miserable little metal breast-plate.” 

^That is precisely what happened,” I assented. 
noticed that the camel wore a sort of shield, studded with 
brass knobs. It can’t be helped, Ben Nil; you aimed true 
and you did your best, but if you had followed up that first 
shot with a second one quickly, while the camel paused 
that moment, the beast would be dead now and its master 


THE CROCODILES REJOICE. 163 

in our hands. It is a thousand pities, but we will hope to 
capture Ihn Asl yet. Let us go back to the emir.^’ 

We rode less rapidly in returning, for there was no need 
of haste. Ibn Asl was safe for the present, and we were 
not impatient to tell the news to the Eeis Effendina. 

We found him forming an impromptu court of justice 
for the trial of the prisoners. We told him our misfortunes 
briefly, and when he had mastered his disappointment suffi- 
ciently we returned with him to the circle, in the midst of 
which lay the old fakir and his spy, with all the other pris- 
oners hound and lying around the outer edge of the ring 
formed by the '^Asaker.^^ 

All pretence of courage had been abandoned by the two 
miserable wretches in the centre; the fakir, especially, was 
fairly howling with terror, imploring the Eeis Effendina 
to spare him, and, the moment he caught sight of me, ap- 
pealing to my duty as a Christian to forgive my enemies 
and intercede in his favor. 

It was a disgusting spectacle, and it sickened me with a 
contemptuous half-pity. I knew there would he no use 
in pleading for the fakir, nor did I see how I could Justly 
ask the Eeis Effendina to spare one who deserved the ut- 
most punishment of the law, if ever a man did. But I did 
ask him to pardon the spy, conditionally on his future good 
behavior and his solemn oath never again to take part or 
service in the crime of slave-dealing. 

The emir, who, as I think and hope, not only felt under 
obligations to me, hut had grown fond of me, granted my 
request, and the spy gave the required promise — let us hope 
that it was kept. 

Then the old fakir was unbound, and fell on his knees 
before the Eeis Effendina. Ben Nil thrust the ^^Asaker’s” 
banner into his hand to emphasize, with a boy’s sense of 


164 


THE CROCODILES REJOICE. 


humor, the contrast between the man’s abject terror and 
anything that suggested spirit. The leader of the ^^Asaker” 
stood beside him, and, raising his hands outspread before 
him, called for silence, while all the men, headed by our 
Fessarah guide on his Arabian horse, looked grimly on^ 
impatient to see the end of the old hypocrite. I looked at 
him as he knelt there and reviewed my own experiences 
with him, my meeting him at the tomb in Siout, how ven- 
erable and pious he had looked! — his attempt to bury me 
alive, his having already done so to Ben Ml — his long life 
of cruelty to his fellow-man under the pretence of ex- 
traordinary piety, and I could not but own to myself that, 
whatever his fate, he deserved it. 

The emir must have felt and thought as I did, for his 
eyes rested sternly on the collapsed old figure and he said 
severely: At last, at last you have come to judgment! I 

have sought for you long and you always escaped, but now 
justice shall be done!” 

demand another judge !” cried the fakir, rousing him- 
self from his terror. 

“There is none who could deal with you as harshly as 
you deserve. Whoever he was, and whatever he did, he 
would always be in arrears in his accounts with you. Your 
crimes mount up into the hundreds; thousands of men 
have to thank you for being enslaved, as well as for the 
murder of their dearest ones. How many yillages have you 
attacked and burned? How many innocent children have 
you slain? And all the time you wore the mask of a saint, 
praying, and profaning the name of Allah and His Prophet. 
Your role is ended and I will send you where you belong, 
to your master, Sheitan, whose works you have performed.” 

“You have no right to kill me,” whined Abd Asl. 



THE LEADER OF THE ‘ ASAKER ’ STOOD BESIDE HIM, AND RAISING 
HIS HANDS CALLED FOR SILENCE.” ( SEE PAGE 164 .) 





THE CROCODILES REJOICE. 


165 

‘^Not only I, but many, countless others, have that right, 
and have had it for many a day. It is a pity that it has not 
been used, for each day of your life meant more crimes. 
I will not have on my head the responsibility of continuing 
your misdeeds. It is my solemn duty to rid Egypt of you, 
her latest plague. It is for me to pronounce sentence upon 
you, and that sentence is death.^^ 

His words fell like the blows of a hammer. The cow- 
ardly old sinner grovelled on the ground imploring mercy, 
and appealing to his reputation for sanctity as a reason for 
receiving it, apparently not being able to understand that 
it was that very thing which increased the Keis’ wrath 
against him. 

^^Enough of this !” he cried, angrily. ^‘Have you not the 
decency to meet with some pretence of courage the fate 
you imposed on so many? You would have torn out the 
tongue and eyes, and cut off the limbs, of this Eff endi ; how 
should you die? There is no death painful enough for one 
who loved to torture others; but I have no taste for such 
pastime, and the Effendi, whom you would have tortured, 
I know desires to beg for you the mercy which even for 
his sake I would not grant you. Your death shall be 
quicker than you deserve; you shall be thrown to the 
crocodiles.^^ 

^^0 Allah, you cannot do that! Spare me, Eeis Ef- 
fendina,^^ moaned the wretch. 

“Spare you? To what end? This Effendi spared you; 
Ben Nil gave you your miserable life, and you forthwith 
began to plot against them anew. You are a fiend, whose 
nature is to return good with evil, kindness with cruelty. 
What I have said, I have said; you shall be thrown to the 
crocodiles. Men, do your duty.^^ 


i66 


THE CROCODILES REJOICE. 


In spite of his shrieks and struggles the fakir was bound 
hand and foot. Then he became quite still, and we, too, 
were perfectly silent. Not a man in the camp spoke a 
word as four ^^Asaker’^ took up the prisoner and carried 
him away. Not a sound was heard till from the swamp 
came a moaning that rose into a cry, and ended in a shriek 
that pierced one’s flesh and hones. Then all was still 
again; the crocodiles had received their prey. 

I was shuddering and horror-stricken, yet even then I 
could not say that, according to the customs of this people 
and the primitive forms of punishment which they still 
knew, the sentence had been too severe for such a criminal. 

The emir laid his hand affectionately on my shoulder. 
^^The history of the fakir is closed,” he said. “I hope that 
our work together does not end with it. There is much to 
he done. Ibn Asl is still at large, and the slave trade in 
Egypt is far from being abolished. Will you stay with 
me and see the end?” 

“My time is my own, and my life untrammelled,” I re- 
plied. “I shall he glad to help you if I can, and my thirst 
for adventure is not sated.” 

“Come, then,” the emir said, smiling. “That is pleasant 
hearing! We will rest now, for rest is as uncertain as it is 
sweet in the desert. You have saved my life, having res- 
cued helpless women from slavery worse than death. You 
have wrought a good work, my young hero from the new 
land of the West, and you have wrought well. Our task is 
done; we will await the will of Allah for our next one.” 


CHAPTER XVII. 


AN OLD FRIEND IN A NEW GUISE. 

There are people to whom an unfinished air, whistled, 
sung, or played, is torture. I confess to being one of these, 
and it may be that which rendered it impossible for me to 
do otherwise than accede to the desire of the Reis Effendina, 
and remain with him till his triumphal march should be 
completed. It was much that we had put an end to the 
crimes of the father and coadjutor of Ibn Asl, the fiercest 
of the Egyptian slave-hunters, hut the chief villain was still 
in full cry after his prey, and the Mokkadem and muza’bir, 
whose wickedness I had good personal reasons for remem- 
bering, were still unpunished. Though the task I 'was en- 
gaged in was full of dangers and privations, I could not 
regret having promised the emir to see it through, nor 
would I have felt that I could turn my back on that good 
officer of the Viceroy until the work was done. We knew 
with certainty that we were not far from the haunts of Ibn 
Asl and his associates, and, before starting forth to raid 
them, held a council of war, in which the Reis gave me a 
piece of information which was both surprising and un- 
pleasant. He said that he had information that Murad 
Xassyr, the Turk with whom I had stayed in Cairo, and 
who had also suffered at the hands of the Mokkadem, Abd 
el Barak, had entered into friendly relations with Ibn Asl, 
and was to give him his sister in marriage; indeed, was 
at that very moment somewhere in that neighborhood, 
bringing the fair "Turtle dove,^" as she was called, to her 

167 


i68 


AN OLD FRIEND. 


brutal future master. This arrangement had necessarily 
converted Murad Nassyr from my friend to my foe, since 
I was associated with the emir in hunting down his would- 
be brother-in-law, and putting an end to his nefarious 
trade. I was sorry to hear this, for I had liked the Turk 
during my stay in his house ; but without stopping to con- 
sider his fall from honest ways, the emir proceeded to un- 
fold to me the immediate work in hand. 

There was a sangak, as a certain native officer is called, 
named Ibn Mulai, in whom the emir had always felt entire 
confidence. But a negro had recently been captured, bear- 
ing a letter to this man from Ibn Asl ; a letter which, though 
not positively incriminating, gave him good reason to sus- 
pect that the sangak was in secret collusion with the slave- 
dealer. The negro had been killed, and it was the emir’s 
desire that I should disguise myself, and carry the letter to 
the sangak, and try to discover whether or not his distrust 
was well founded, since this man held a post important 
enough to frustrate all our plans should he be treacherous. 

I agreed to undertake this dangerous mission, was fur- 
nished with the letter and the necessary information for 
my guidance by the emir, and set out in the morning, ac- 
companied only by my faithful Ben Nil. 

Two men alone in the wide desert ! Who can picture to 
himself what these words mean ? The sun burns so fiercely 
that one’s flesh is parched, and one must pull the hood of 
his haik well over his eyes to keep the reflection from blind- 
ing him. The silence is unbroken, for not only is there 
nothing to talk about, but one’s swollen tongue presses pain- 
fully against one’s dry lips, and speech would be torture. 
Before, behind one, and at every side, sand, sand, nothing 
but glittering, burning sand! The solitude is indescrib- 
able, and it is increased by the mechanical stride of the 
camel, going on like a machine. There is none of that 


'AN OLD FRIEND. 


169 


comradeship between the camel and his rider which exists 
between a man and a good horse. Not only is the animal’s 
temperament responsible for this, but the difference in the 
manner of sitting the two animals increases it. The camel 
rider is perched on his peculiar saddle, with no more con- 
nection with his beast than if he were in a buggy, while the 
horseman clasps his steed with his own limbs ; the nervous 
creature feels and understands every pressure of knee and 
hand, till man and beast half realize the ancient’s concep- 
tion of the centaur, and form a perfect whole, one in sym- 
pathy and understanding. 

Both our camels were willing and swift animals ; but we 
did not feel that they loved us, and that knowledge in- 
creased the loneliness of a desolate ride which the friend- 
ship of a horse would have brightened, and we were glad 
when we were aroused from our torpor by the screaming 
of hawks, and, on scanning the horizon with a glass, dis- 
covered a village, which was undoubtedly the headquarters 
of the man I sought. 

Another hour’s riding brought us to a small but thickly 
wooded island of green in the ocean of the desert, and here 
we dismounted, concealed ourselves and our camels, and pre- 
pared for our visit to the sangak. I wore the ordinary cos- 
tume of that section of the country, and my sunburned 
hands and face looked as though they might belong to a gen- 
uine slave-dealer, except that the cut of my features, which I 
could not well alter, might betray me. 

Of course, I read carefully the letter I was bearing, and 
mastered its contents before setting out for the village, 
which we did at sunset. It was perfectly dark when we 
reached the river. The village lay on the other shore, and 
we met servants of the sangak, who had been hunting, and 
who, when we made known to them our desire to visit their 
master, ferried us with our camels across the Nile. 


170 


AN OLD FRIEND. 


As far as the darkness allowed us to see, the houses in this 
village were all mud huts, with two small windows, just 
large enough to shoot through, on each side of the narrow 
door. One hut, which seemed more prominent than the 
others, became the object of my attention. There seemed to 
be neither door knob nor lock, but I felt the end of a rude 
latch as I passed my hand down the door, which I tried, and 
found that it lifted. The door did not open, however, so I 
knocked, and soon heard swift steps and a voice demanding : 
^‘Who is there 

messenger to the sangak of Bahr el Oschebel.’^ 

^^You must come another time ; he is not here.’’ 

am a stranger here. Let me in; I will wait until he 
returns.” 

The man was silent, apparently considering. Then he 
said : ^^Stay a moment — I will ask if you may enter.” 

I heard him go away, and presently other steps ap- 
proached, and another voice asked: ^Ts your message im- 
portant ?” 

^‘Yes ; I have a letter.” 

^^Give it to me. I will open the window.” 

‘T can’t do that. I must deliver this letter only into the 
hands of Ibn Mulai, the sangak of Bahr el Oschebel.” 

“Then come in, if you must.” A heavy iron bolt groaned, 
and the door opened. I saw by the light of a small oil lamp 
which he carried a man armed with two pistols, two knives 
and a crooked sabre, although he was in the house. Two 
glittering evil eyes regarded me suspiciously as he asked in 
a mistrustful tone: “Why do you come at night? Could 
you not have got here earlier ?” 

“No one could have come quicker than I have,” I replied. 
“I must hasten away again this very night, and it is above 
all things necessary for me to give this letter into the san- 
gak’s own hands.” 


'AN OLD FRIEND. 


171 

^TTour tone is too confident, fellow ! I am a soldier, and 
my knife is never fast in its sheath. Do you understand? 
Follow me.’^ 

I entered, and he barred the door again. The walls were 
covered with weapons on every side, and opposite the en- 
trance to the room I saw another door, through which I 
was led into a second, much larger room, lighted by a clay 
lamp with four branches suspended from the ceiling. There 
was a door on each one of the four sides of the room, but no 
window. A sheepskin mat was spread under the lamp, upon 
which lay four savage-looking fellows, who regarded me with 
unfriendly curiosity. My companion threw himself down 
beside them to resume an interrupted game, saying to me 
over his shoulder: ^^Wait here till our lord comes. But be 
silent and don’t disturb us or we will close your mouth for 
you.” 

It may be imagined that my thoughts were not altogether 
pleasant. Here I was locked in a place that to all appear- 
ances was one of the headquarters of a deadly enemy, with 
five fellows of the wildest sort of native soldiery, and, lest 
they betray me by their Western workmanship, I had left 
my own weapons, with my watch and all my belongings, 
with Ben Nil, who was to await me at a short distance. 

Having no watch, I could not tell how late it was grow- 
ing ; but it must have been three good hours that I sat in this 
hole before a thundering knocking was heard at the door. 

^The sangak !” cried his followers, starting to their feet, 
while the one who had admitted me hastened to let him in. 

The outer door opened, and I heard low voices ; evidently 
the sangak was hearing of my arrival. In a few moments 
he entered. It is said that every man has likeness to some 
animal, and as I looked in the sangak’s face I could think 
only of a steer, coming with lowered horns and red, angry 
eyes to gore his prey. He threw me a quick look, and, with 


172 


AN OLD FRIEND. 


the one word ^^Come preceded me through one of the side 
doors, which one of his men held open for him. 

As he seated himself he said : ‘‘You have a letter? Hand 
it to me.” 

He took the letter without looking at it, examined me 
closely with his cruel eyes, then demanded : “Your name ?” 

“Iskander Patras,” I replied, giving a Greek name, hop- 
ing it would account for my lack of Oriental features, and 
knowing there were many of Levantine origin in the 
Soudan. 

“ A Greek ! ” exclaimed the sangak. “ Where from ? ” 

“I was born of Grecian parents in Kahireh,” I replied, for 
spies cannot answer their foes truthfully. 

“Christian ?” 

“Yes.” 

“It is the same to me. What are your duties at the Seri- 
hah Aliab?” 

This was Ibn AsPs own seribah, or headquarters, but I 
replied quietly: “I act as interpreter. I have been long 
among the negro tribes and I know their dialects.” 

“That brings you profits without risks,” he said half con- 
temptuously. “I will see what this letter says.” He 
glanced at it as he spoke, and my heart beat high. The 
room was well lighted, and, if he saw that it had already 
been opened and resealed, I was lost. Luckily his impa- 
tience made him break the seal quickly and read the letter 
without paying attention to its wrapper. 

When he had finished reading he thrust it into his pocket 
and said : “They tell me you waited three hours for me. You 
must be hungry; you shall eat, and tell me about the seri- 
bah.” So saying he left the room, motioning me to be 
seated. 

If only I had dared to run away, or could see any chance 
of doing so! It was likely the sangak knew the seribah 


AN OLD FRIEND. 


173 


well, and if I, who had no notion of what it was like, talked 
about it, I was sure to get into a scrape ! 

However, there was no possibility of escape, so I tried to 
look pleased when the sangak returned, followed by a serv- 
ant bringing a steaming joint. 

^^How long have you been at the seribah?” asked Tbn 
Mulai, after I had obeyed his command to attack the meat. 

^Tor two years/^ I replied, as I made a show of eating 
with relish. 

^^Ibn Asl must have confidence in you to entrust you with 
this letter to me. How long are you to stay here 

dare not linger an unnecessary moment,^’ I replied. 
^^The boat which brought me here is to wait for me but a 
few hours, and if I am not on board it will sail without me.” 

^^But I must hear all you can tell me of the seribah !” he 
cried impatiently. ^^And take care you do not fall into the 
hands of the Reis Effendina ! Beware especially of a Chris- 
tian dog, a foreign Effendi, who is somewhere between here 
and Khartum now.” 

Why should I fear a Christian ? I am a Christian, too,” 
I said innocently. 

^‘You have every reason to fear him ! He is helping the 
Reis Effendina hunt our people and stop our trade. You 
evidently have not heard of him; I must tell you about 
him.” 

How thankful I was that he began forthwith to recount to 
me as I ate, his version of my deeds and character ! I plied 
him with questions, meaning to take up all the time that I 
was eating with his story and then go. Thus would the 
danger of mistakes in my description of the seribah be 
averted. Could anything have been more lucky than this 
turn in the conversation? Fortune had smiled upon me; 
but she is notoriously a fickle jade, and, just as I was thank- 
ing her in my thoughts, she turned her back on me. 


174 


AN OLD FRIEND. 


Suddenly a confusion of noises arose outside; doors 
slammed, voices clamored and then a man entered, an- 
nouncing: ^^My lord, we have captured a spy! He was 
creeping up to listen at the door, and, as we took him, the 
holy man with his friend came up, asking to see you. They 
both say that they know the fellow.” 

As the sangak gave the order to bring in the prisoner the 
door opened again and five men came in, dragging and 
pushing into the room — poor Ben Ml ! And as I was won- 
dering who the holy man and his friend who had recognized 
Ben Ml could be, lo and behold ! who should follow the pro- 
cession but the Mokkadem and the muza’bir ! 

Both had formerly tried in vain to murder us and knew 
us perfectly. What was to be done? There were twelve 
men against us, and outside were more, how many I could 
form no idea. I had no weapons, except useless old things 
I had taken for better disguise. The prospect looked black. 
The only possible chance would be through a sudden on- 
slaught. Thus far I, who sat in the shadow, had not been 
seen, and as the sangak demanded of Ben Nil who he was, 
the Mokkadem answered for him: ^^Mudir, our hearts re- 
joice, as yours will wonder, when I tell you that we have 
here the friend and companion of our bitterest enemy, whom 
may Allah confound 1” 

^‘What enemy ?” asked Ibn Mulai. 

^‘The Effendi, the Christian dog. This young man is 
Ben Nil, of whom we have told you, the faithful follower of 
that cur. Where he is the other is not far distant, and, 
since we have captured Ben Nil, we can be sure that the 
Effendi is in Faschoda.” 

^^Beat him !” cried the sangak, ^^and make him tell where 
his master is.” 

^^That is not necessary,” I said, rising from my comer. 

can tell you for myself where I am.” 


AN OLD FRIEND. 


175 


The effect of these words was indescribable. The startled 
men stood as stiff as if they had been turned into stone. 
Some of them fell back against the wall; one only made a 
motion as if to seize me. I must make good use of this sur- 
prise. Two leaps brought me to Ben Nil. I snatched him 
from his captors and pushed him toward the door, the sol- 
diers falling away to the right and left. With blows and 
kicks I made good my path and got to the exit. Here Ben 
Nil stumbled. I stooped to raise him, and instantly the 
whole crowd regained their senses. Blows rained thick and 
fast. One fell on my head, but, half stunned, I fought on, 
blinded and scarce knowing what I did till I lost conscious- 
ness, and when I came to myself again we were both bound, 
lying on the floor among the ruins of my supper. 

Poor Ben Nil, whose love for me had led him to take the 
foolish risk he had run, was watching anxiously for my eyes 
to open, and, when they did, he whispered : “Effendi, I have 
been guilty of such recklessness that you will And it hard to 
forgive me.” 

'T am not angry,” I said. '^You have harmed only your- 
self, for the Mokkadem would have come in in any case and 
recognized me. Though it is true that if you were free you 
might have gone back and brought the emir to my rescue. 
However, I hope that even now 

Just then four men entered, carrying huge bast mats and 
ropes. We were gagged, our eyes bandaged and we were 
rolled up and tied in the mats like living mummies. The 
only part of us left out was our heads, so that at least we 
should not smother. 

Then we were carried away; where, of course, we could 
not see. We were thrown with some violence on a hard sur- 
face, and we heard the sound of oars, and felt that we were 
in a boat and were rowed a long, long distance — for hours, it 
seemed to me. 


176 


AN OLD FRIEND. 


At last the motion ceased; we were lifted, borne some- 
where, once more thrown heavily on a floor. Then we were 
unbound, the gags taken from our mouths and we found 
ourselves on the deck of a ship. Twenty or so men stood 
around us, and at their head was Murad Nassyr, my former 
friend of Cairo. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 


A WOMAN'S GRATITUDE. 

It was an interesting theme for speculation, the manner 
in which Murad Xassyr, from whom I parted as a friend, 
would greet me. There was little doubt that he would be 
more relentless to me than if we had parted differently ; for, 
as I had never wronged him, he would be forced to the 
greater violence to maintain his own injustice. It is pos- 
sible for a man to forgive an injury, but it is doubtful if he 
will ever forgive one whom he has injured. 

As I waited for his salutation I heard him speaking with 
one of the men who had brought us hither, and I heard him 
ask : ^^Where are the Mokkadem and the muza’bir T’ 

'^They left Faschoda by the land route to go to the Dinka 
country, where Ibn Asl is. They wished to tell him them- 
selves of the capture of these two men,’^ replied the sailor. 

^^Then they may miss him. I am looking for him any 
moment with the captured Dinkas.” 

These words proved that Murad Xassyr was not overbur- 
dened with prudence. It was a mistake for him to say be- 
fore me that Ibn Asl was about to seize the Dinkas, even 
though I was in no apparent likelihood of using the infor- 
mation. The plump little Turk then turned to me and 
said : 

^^Do you know me, you dog, or has your memory failed 
you ?” 

I did not answer an inquiry couched in these words, and 
he continued : 

^^Open your mouth, you black crow! Has fright made 
you dumb ?” 


177 


178 


A WOMAN’S GRATITUDE. 


I laughed and said : ^Tright ! And of you ? My fat lit- 
tle friend, don’t be absurd ! 'No one would fear you, I least 
of all. You were not so brave when I last saw you and 
helped you clear your house of the supposed ghosts, who 
proved to he this very Mokkadem and his gang, with whom 
you are now so friendly.” 

^^Dog, you dare to ridicule me! I will redouble your 
torture,” he cried. 

^^Oh, leave me in peace !” I said. ^^You cut such a ridicu- 
lous figure with your threats that I can only laugh at you. 
You know me well enough to be sure what effect your boast- 
ing must have upon me. Go to sleep ; that is better employ- 
ment than wasting your strength trying to impress me. If 
there are any ghosts, call me, and I’ll tackle them. And in 
the meantime you would do well to reflect that I have never 
harmed you, Murad Yassyr, and whether you are likely to 
be better off for the criminal course and evil companionship 
you have entered upon.” 

My words were not without effect, for the Turk turned 
away without another word; but I heard him bidding his 
men watch me well, for Ibn Asl would rather have me than 
thousands of piasters, and when he came would himself de- 
vise the tortures I was to undergo. 

The room in which we were confined resembled a tent ; its 
walls were linen, its ceiling matting stretched across stakes, 
and it was divided in the middle by another piece of linen. 
I could hear the murmur of feminine voices on my left, and 
conjectured that the Turk’s sister had her apartments and 
her servants’ apartments on that side. 

Back of us hung another linen curtain, which was raised, 
and beyond was a smaller room, filled with boxes _and 
casks, which had been pushed back to make room for us. 
Stout nails had been driven into the planks to which we were 
fastened, a precaution that was most wise, for, if by any 


A WOMANS GRATITUDE. 


179 


means we could get free of our shackles, we had nothing to 
do but raise the matting that formed the door, and jump 
overboard. 

When we had been thus securely fastened Murad Nassyr 
surveyed us with satisfaction, saying: ^^Now you cannot 
move. Just try to escape me if you can ! Ibn Asl will re- 
turn by to-morrow and will pronounce your sentence. I 
sleep on the other side, and can hear all you say. If it 
should be a syllable that displeases me you will taste the 
whip. Now may Allah send you sweet slumber and still 
sweeter dreams.^’ 

These last words were said mockingly as he withdrew with 
his men. 

He raised the side curtain and disappeared, and we heard 
his voice and a woman’s, which we supposed to be and later 
learned was his sister’s, whispering. We saw his shadow 
reappear on the linen partition of his own apartment, and 
shortly a woman’s shadow was thrown beside it; they bent 
together, we heard them whispering, and then both rose and 
went on deck. 

Scarcely had all this occurred than a female shadow ap- 
peared on the side of our apartment; it grew larger, came 
nearer, the curtain was raised, and a woman’s voice whis- 
pered : ^^Effendi, where are you ?” 

^^Here,” I said. ^^Who are you ?” 

am Fatma ; do you remember ?” she replied. 

I did recollect her. She was a negress who had served me 
in Murad Nassyr’s house and who was the favorite servant of 
his sister. 

^^What do you want of me ?” I asked. 

^^My mistress has sent me. She has learned from my 
lord, her brother, that you are to be tortured to death, and 
her heart is sorrowful.” 

^'May Allah bless her for her sympathy,” I said. 


i8o 


A WOMAN^S GRATITUDE. 


‘‘Yes, Effendi, she is good. She will deliver you.” 

“Hamdulillah ! How can she ?” 

“Unfortunately she cannot do much ; but all that she can 
she will do. She has never forgotten that you cured me 
when I was so ill, and she begs you to tell me what you 
need.” 

I had completely forgotten that I had doctored this girl 
with the medicines in my little travelling case till she re- 
called it to me, and I was not a little touched that these two 
women should have so faithfully remembered a circumstance 
not worth recording. 

“Where is your mistress ?” I asked. 

“Above on deck. She has coaxed her brother there so 
that I may speak to you.” 

“But suppose he returns unexpectedly and discovers us ?” 

“He will not. She will keep him there till I give her a 
signal that we have succeeded.” 

“How, may heaven bless you,” I said, starting up with 
sudden hope. “Bring a sharp knife.” 

She had already provided herself with one, which she pro- 
duced, and, as I could not move my hands, I bade her cut the 
ropes which bound them. 

“Allah!” she gasped. “What a thing you ask of me! 
My hands shake with fright; but I will do it, for you have 
been good to me.” 

I felt her hands quiver, but she cut true, and I snatched 
the knife to finish the work, crying : 

“Thank you, Fatma, best of the daughters of Eve ! May 
Allah reward you ! How many men are there on this ship, 
and is the boat that brought us here still astern ?” 

“There are twenty-two men aboard, and the boat is still 
there.” 

“That is all I need to know. You may go in peace and 
you need not give the signal, for your mistress shall see with 


A WOMAN'S GRATITUDE. i8i 

her own eyes that her blessed kindness has succeeded. I am 
sure we shall meet again, and then I will prove my gratitude 
to you both, as I cannot prove it now.’’ 

She withdrew, and it took but a few moments to complete 
the work of liberating myself from my bonds. 

‘‘What a miracle, Effendi,” whispered Ben Nil as I cut 
the ropes that held him, and he stood erect. “W^ho could 
have dreamed of such a rescue ?” 

I raised the mat which served as ceiling a little way and 
peered out. The crew lay sleeping on the deck, while the 
Turk and his sister leaned over the rail on the side nearer 
shore talking. The boat must lie on the other side; and 
over the stem, near the spot where I thought it should be, 
hung a chain brought through an iron ring, and fastened 
near our prison. 

“Everything is favorable,” I whispered. “We will climb 
down this chain into the water. No one is watching us, for 
Murad Nassyr has assumed that duty, and that good girl is 
occupying his attention.” 

We slipped out under the matting, seized the chain, and 
softly let ourselves into the water. Then we swam to where 
the boat was lying, keeping close under the ship that we 
might not be seen from above. The oars were in the boat, 
ready for her speedy return whence we had come. 

“Now pull, Effendi,” whispered Ben Nil, as we each took 
a pair. “We are free; but we must not lose a moment in 
getting away from here.” 

We had not pulled half a dozen strokes before we were 
discovered. 

“The Effendi is out !” cried Murad Nassyr. “He is try- 
ing to escape ! Look in the boat there ! Follow him, men ! 
A thousand piasters for the one who brings him back to 
me !” 

Instantly the deck was all confusion, voices clamoring and 


82 


A WOMAN’S GRATITUDE. 


feet scurrying to unfasten the ship’s tender from her davits, 
get her in the water and pursue us. 

"Quick! quick!” shouted Murad Nassyr’s voice, rising 
above all the hubbub. "Two thousand, three thousand pi- 
asters for the one who catches him !” 

"Ten thousand piasters for him who catches me,” I 
laughed in reply. Then we bent to our oars, and the boat 
sprang away like a hare. Ben Nil was an unusual oarsman ; 
I could row a little myself — I had pulled stroke on my col- 
lege crew — and, with the current helping us, we got such a 
start that we were soon beyond reach, and in a short time 
had put the ship out of sight behind us. 

We were to meet the Eeis Effendina at Faschoda, where 
he was to receive our information as to the sangak’s being 
innocent or guilty of complicity with Ibn Asl. 

We rowed hard all night, discussing the extraordinary 
action of the "turtle dove,” in saving us from her brother 
and future husband. Whatever Murad Nassyr might be, 
she was a tender-hearted, grateful girl, and I made up my 
mind to do all I could to save her from falling into the 
hands of such a brute as Ibn Asl. 

When the east began to be streaked with light we already 
were nearing Faschoda and espied the masts of "Esch Scha- 
din,” the Reis’ own swift "Falcon,” lying at the farther end 
of the town. 

We encountered no obstacles in getting to her, and were 
welcomed with relief by the Reis, who was getting anxious 
about us, for the arrangement had been that we should wait 
for him on shore and be ready to board "Esch Schadin” the 
moment she arrived. After a hearty breakfast and a re- 
freshing bath I related to the emir the history of my visit to 
the sangak and the indubitable proof of his alliance with the 
slave-dealers found in the actual presence of the Mokkadem 
and muza’bir in his house and his cooperation in my capture. 


A WOMAN’S GRATITUDE. 


183 


The wrath of the emir knew no bounds. 

^‘You can hardly understand/’ he said, ^^how base this fel- 
low is. I have loaded him with favors and trusted him, and 
he has used my confidence and kindness to further the crimes 
I am commissioned to stamp out. But his punishment 
shall equal his crime. Has any one seen you return ?” 

^^No, I am certain we were not seen,” I replied, wonder- 
Pg- 

“Then Ibn Mulai will not know that he is found out. I 
will send a messenger to bid him come here to confer with 
me. You shall conceal yourselves and let this slender youth 
disguise himself as a woman. His figure will not betray 
him, and you shall see something that will amuse you.” 

The messenger was dispatched, and, though we could not 
imagine what game the emir was going to play, Ben Nil 
donned women’s garments, which he provided, and was 
thickly veiled like any Eastern beauty. 

We stood behind a curtain at the end of the emir’s cabin 
when the sangak entered. He gave one sharp glance at the 
Eeis Efiendina’s face, but, seeing that his brow was unruf- 
fled, threw off the half fear that he entertained of having 
been detected. 

“Ibn Mulai,” began the emir, “I sent for you, bidding 
you come to confer with me ; but that was not the true rea- 
son for my desiring your presence. I have never rewarded 
you for your service to me in the manner such fidelity de- 
served.” He paused and the sangak said : 

“I am the truest of all your servants.” 

“The truest of them all,” assented the emir, gravely. 
“For this reason I have chosen a wife for you as a reward, a 
wife who may be compared to all the houris of paradise.” 

“A wife !” stammered the sangak in amazement. 

“Even so, a wife. A picture of beauty and virtues, a 
compendium of loveliness. Although it is contrary to our 


A IVOMAN'S GRATITUDE. 


184 

customs, that you may know what a treasure you are to pos- 
sess you shall see her now. Come forth, fair maiden, and 
lift thy veil, that this brave sangak may fall at thy feet, 
blinded by the splendor of thine eyes.^’ He turned toward 
our hiding-place as he spoke and Ben Nil slowly advanced. 

^^It really is a woman cried the sangak, staring at the 
veiled figure. thought you jested. Is she as lovely as 
you say ? Is she black or white 

^'Answer these questions for yourself. Look and wonder 

The Keis Effendina rose and lifted the veil with his own 
hands. The sangak uttered an inarticulate cry and fell 
back in terror. 

‘‘Now, how does she please you?’’ asked the emir. “Are 
you not delighted ?” 

The sangak tried in vain to speak, and, as I came out 
from behind the curtain, could only turn a little more livid 
under his brown skin than he had been before. 

“So you see that your game is played,” said the emir 
fiercely, suddenly dropping his tone of mocking banter. “I 
know the length and breadth of your treachery. This Ef- 
fendi, whom you delivered up to my enemies to his death, 
has escaped and returned to confound you.” He clapped his 
hands and eight sailors entered. “ You know your duty. 
Shoot him and throw his traitor’s body into the Nile. Not 
a word,” he added, as the sailors seized the sangak and the 
wretch essayed to speak. “You are a traitor and shall have 
a traitor’s fate,” and the fellow was dragged away to meet 
the death which, according to the laws of all lands, he had 
merited. 

“And now, Effendi,” said the Reis Effendina, “since that 
disagreeable duty is done, and we are by so much nearer suc- 
cess in stamping out these slave-traders, that we have discov- 
ered their treacherous ally among our own followers, let us 
lose no time in proceeding with our work. You have 


A WOMAN'S GRATITUDE. 


185 


learned through the Turk’s imprudent words that he is ex- 
pecting Ibn Asl with a capture of slaves from a Dinka vil- 
lage. Will you and Ben Nil go up the Nile toward where 
Murad Nassyr’s ship is lying and try to get further tidings 
of their movements ? I will follow by land and be ready to 
protect you with my 'Asaker’ should you need me. It seems 
to me we can work more effectually separately than together 
until we are perfectly sure of our next move.” 

The plan struck me as the best possible, and, undismayed 
by all our previous hairbreadth escapes, Ben Nil and I made 
our simple preparations for departure. 

Two hours after the noonday meal we were returning up 
the Nile in the direction whence we had come during the 
night. We were not obliged to hasten; we were very weary 
from loss of sleep, so each took turns at the oars while the 
other slept. 

Thus by slow and steady progress our little boat crept up 
the great river till the sun went down. 


CHAPTER XIX. 

JACK PAYS HIS DEBT AND MAKES A CONVERSION. 

We had rowed up the river in this leisurely fashion for 
some six miles when we espied a landing place, called in that 
country a ^^mischrah/^ and, partly from curiosity and partly 
because it looked inviting, we rowed over to it and went 
ashore. 

We found it in such excellent condition and so unmistak- 
ably in frequent use that I could not but wonder whether it 
had any connection with the slave-ships and caravans we 
were trying to track down. Great stakes driven into the 
ground closed the further end of the ^^mischrah.^’ It looked 
decidedly like the entrance to a seribah, which is not only 
the headquarters of a slave-trader, but a depot for the recep- 
tion of the wretched captives until they can be shipped to 
market. 

‘^We can’t get through there, Effendi,” said Ben Nil. 

“I have no idea of going into the seribah, if that is what 
this is,” I replied, stooping as I spoke to examine the stakes. 
There was not a living tiling in sight, although the moon- 
light was brilliant enough to have revealed a mouse. 

As I bent forward to look at the lower part of the stakes 
Ben Nil uttered a shriek of horror. I started to rise, but a 
tremendous blow fell on my head, and I knew no more. 
When I regained consciousness I was bound hand and foot 
with ropes and lay in a pit beside Ben Nil, who was bound in 
the same manner. 

As he saw me open my eyes he exclaimed : 

‘‘Allah be praised ! I feared you were dead, Effendi.” 

i86 


JACK PAYS HIS DEBT. 


187 


My head was in agony, my eyes saw strange things danc- 
ing before them, and my ears buzzed like a swarm of bees ; 
but I was not dead, as I assured him. 

'‘^Were you stunned, too ?” I asked. 

^^ISTo.” 

^Then tell me what has happened, and why are we here in 
what I take for a pit in a seribah ?'’ 

^^Alas ! that is precisely what it is. J ust as you said that 
you had no idea of going into the seribah, I looked up and 
saw a man standing over you with an oar raised to strike 
you, and four or five other stout fellows were coming up. I 
shouted to warn you, but too late; the blow fell, and you 
dropped without a sound. I fought with all my might, but 
it was no use, and we were both bound and brought here.^’ 

^The Reis Effendina will find us,’’ I said. 

hope so. I managed to kick our boat adrift, trusting 
he would find it. But suppose they kill us at once ?” 

^‘That is not impossible. We have escaped our enemies 
so often that they may prefer making sure of us. I wonder 
whose hands we are in this time? Hush! Some one is 
coming.” 

We heard steps, and the matting that served as a door was 
raised. Several men entered, led by Murad Nassyr and his 
sergeant, which is the nearest English equivalent to the 
office filled by the stout Turk’s adjutant. 

Murad Hassyr came up to me, stroked his beard content- 
edly and said: ^^Are you actually here? I trust you will 
make us a longer visit this time, or do you hope to disappear 
so mysteriously again ?” 

I made no reply and he turned to the sergeant, saying : 

^This is the Christian dog of whom we have told you. He 
must die.” 

have no objection,” replied the man; '^but let us wait 
till daylight, so that we can see them suffer. We are out of 


i88 


JACK PAYS HIS DEBT. 


meat and must go fishing while it is moonlight and they 
bite best. These dogs are safe in this kennel. Would it 
not be well to start at once ?” 

^^You are right ; we will take two boats, for we need a big 
haul. Each boat can carry five men, and two will be enough 
to leave in the seribah.” 

“I don’t agree with you,” objected the sergeant. ^^There 
should be more here on guard. How do you know that these 
two came alone ? The Reis Effendina’s ship may be near.” 

will ask them, and woe to them if they answer falsely.” 
Then turning to me, Murad Hassyr drewliis knife and said: 
^^Each time that you do not reply to my questions will cost 
you a finger. I am not joking. See! my knife is ready. 
Did you come here alone ?” 

“Ben Nil was my only companion,” I said. 

“Where is the Reis Effendina?” 

I hesitated, as though reluctant to answer, and he bent 
over me, seized my left thumb, placed the edge of the knife 
against it, and said threateningly : 

“Answer, or I cut ! Where is he ?” 

“He is at Bahr el Oschebel looking for you,” I said, re- 
flecting that, though this was a lie, he might soon be unde- 
ceived. 

“Why are you not with him ?” 

“He sent me to see if I could discover Ibn Asl’s where- 
abouts.” 

“Good ! I thought I could make you speak. One more 
question : How did you escape from me before ?” 

“Here goes for a fairy tale,” I thought, for it would not 
have done to have betrayed his sister, and said aloud : 

“I had two knives with me and you found only one. The 
other had fallen from my pocket where I could pick it up 
and cut my fastenings. Then we climbed down the anchor 
chain into the boat which lay astern.” 


JACK PAYS HIS DEBT. 


189 

that was the way ?” nodded Murad Nassyr, well sat- 
isfied. ^^We will do better this time.^^ 

We were thoroughly searched and then our captors de- 
parted for their fishing. 

All was still. The starlight shone down on us, but, ex- 
cept for companions in the pit, which were far from consol- 
ing ones, we thought that we had been left entirely alone. 
Indeed, no guard was necessary, for even had we been un- 
bound there was no way of getting up from the pit, the lad- 
der by which Murad Nassyr and the rest had descended hav- 
ing been drawn up after them. 

It was not long, however, before we heard a voice de- 
manding : 

^^here are you, you curs ? Have you sworn brotherhood 
with the scorpions and the rats ?” 

We did not answer. But another voice from the entrance 
of the seribah called out something in return. We knew, for 
Murad Hassyr had imprudently said so, that ten men were 
gone fishing ; one was sitting by our prison and another was 
guarding the water gate. In a few moments our guard 
spoke again. 

^^Who comes there ?” he asked. 

We heard a voice reply, but we could not understand what 
was said. 

^^ho are you? I do not know you!^^ cried the guard. 
^^Halt ! or I’ll— oh, Allah ! Allah !” 

The last cry ended in a gasp. We heard a brief struggle 
and then a voice called : Effendi, are you down there ? ” 

^^Yes,” I replied. ^^Who are you ?” 

am the pilot, Abu en Ml, for whom you obtained 
mercy from the Keis Effendina when he seized the slave-ship 
which I was piloting. I have sought the service of the Reis, 
and he has sent me with one of his men to look for you and 
my grandson. Is he with you ?” 


JACK PAYS HIS DEBT. 


190 

^^Yes. Don’t waste a moment,, but lower the ladder and 
come down and free us/’ I cried. 

He obeyed, and, sobbing with joy at seeing Ben Nil and 
me once more, freed us from our bonds, and we mounted the 
ladder, rejoicing and puzzled at this unexpected meeting. 

^^You must wonder how I discovered you,” said the old 
man. H saw your boat overturned in the reeds not far 
from the ^mischrah’ and I made my way ” 

^^Yes,” I interrupted, '^but don’t stop to explain now. We 
are not safe yet.” 

We got the guard, who had been stunned by a blow from 
the ^‘Asaker” who accompanied Abu en Nil, down the ladder 
to take our place in the pit, and we went olf to find the arms, 
if any were about, which we so sorely needed. We not only 
discovered our own, which had been taken from us, but those 
of the men who were peacefully fishing, ignorant of the sud- 
den turn of the tables. 

We stationed ourselves behind trees at the entrance of the 

mischrah ” to wait their return. We were four to ten, but 
we were armed with guns, while they had but their knives, 
and could only enter two at a time, and stooping at that, so 
carefully had they placed the stakes which made the seribah 
inaccessible. 

We saw in the moonlight that the fish were biting briskly, 
and it was not long before the boat that held Murad Nassyr 
turned to come inshore. 

As she glided into the entrance of the ^^misehrah” the 
Turk stepped first over her bow. I was ready for him. As he 
stooped to pass between the stakes I sprang on him, surpris- 
ing him so completely that he was overpowered almost with- 
out resistance. While Ben Nil brought the ropes to bind 
him his grandfather and the ^^Asaker” covered the other 
four with their guns, and when Murad Nassyr was made 
fast we served his followers impartially in like manner, and 


JACK PAYS HIS DEBT. 


191 

had them all stowed away in the pit before the second boat 
came in. 

There was no trouble in handling the second lot as we had 
the first ; indeed, they had heard such accounts of my deeds 
of daring that the sight of me, combined with the loss of 
their master, unnerved them completely. 

''Mercy, Effendi, mercy wailed Murad Nassyr as I 
brought the last of his followers into the pit, he having by 
this time regained his senses. 

"Dare not to speak of mercy,” I said. "You would have 
shown me none. A life for a life and blood for blood ! You 
shall be treated as you would have treated me.” 

"But I would have pardoned you !” 

"Pardoned! What had you to pardon? You have re- 
turned my goodness to you with evil and shall be repaid in 
kind. To-morrow’s sun rises on your last day.” 

"Don’t say that. You are a Christian,” he wailed. 

"A dog of a Christian, so you called me. You can’t ex- 
pect pity from a dog ! Dogs fight their foes and rend and 
tear the weaker. You appeal to my religion for your own 
ends; but you insult it when you have me in your power. 
Your hour has come 1” 

"Effendi, think of my sister ! What will become of her if 
I am dead ?” 

"She will be better off than if you lived, for I cannot 
imagine a worse fate than you designed for her, to be Ibn 
Asl’s wife and slave. Be silent; I am going now to find her 
before the emir comes, who will save me the trouble of 
hanging you.” 

I walked away, leaving him to the pleasures of imagina- 
tion, while I visited his sister. But first I sent Abu en Nil 
down the river to meet the emir and bring him to me. The 
other two guarded the prisoners. 

I entered the apartments which Murad Nassyr had set 


192 


JACK PAYS HIS DEBT. 


apart for his sister and her servants, although Mahometan 
law forbids a man’s presence in such apartments. It seemed 
to me the double excuse of my being an unbeliever and the 
stress of circumstances warranted the intrusion. Kumra — 
whose Turkish name means in English ^Turtle dove” — 
seemed to think so too, for she not only received me without 
protest, but unveiled. She had heard of what was going 
forward and was greatly excited. She really was beautiful, 
and I marvelled that the rotund Murad Nassyr should have 
so fair a sister, as I had before wondered that he should have 
one so kind-hearted. 

“What have you done with my brother?” she demanded, 
ignoring all ceremony or salutation. 

“I have captured him, bound him and put him in the pit, 
where he will sleep securely the rest of the night,” I said. 

“My brother in the oschura ed oschaza ? Such a man as 
he ! Such a renowned and mighty lord !” she cried in dis- 
may. 

“Am I an ordinary man?” I asked, feeling that I must 
assert myself. 

“No, Effendi; were you but a true believer, you would 
seem to me a greater man than even my brother.” 

“Yet he threw me into that pit ! If it was fit for me, it is 
surely fit for him. I have obeyed the law of God and man, 
which he has transgressed.” 

“Is slave-dealing really a crime ?” 

“There can be none greater.” 

“I did not know that. I thought the white race had a 
right to capture and sell the negroes. Can my brother be 
punished ?” 

“He not only can be, but must be.” 

“Allah, Allah! Not with death? I know you are a 
friend of the Reis Effendina. Is that dreadful man here 
also ? Tell me the truth — does he kill slave-dealers 


JACK PAYS HIS DEBT. 


193 


comes in the morning. It is true that he punishes 
that crime with death.’’ 

^^You must save my brother, Effendi ! Do you hear ; you 
mmt save him. I have saved you.” She rose, lifting her 
hands to me imploringly. 

"Yes, you saved me from imprisonment and death,” I 
said gently. "I am not ungrateful. I came here to tell 
you that I would do my best for your brother.” 

"Then all will be well,” she sighed, as satisfied as if 
Murad Nassyr himself was with her. "I know you can save 
him, and now I will make you coffee.” 

"Thank you, beautiful Kumra. Make a great pot full, 
please. My two comrades would be grateful for your good- 
ness, and your favorite Fatma can take the coffee to them.” 

She cheerfully set about her task, and I took my depar- 
ture, wondering. What a true Oriental! Not for long 
could her native indolence of mind be shaken, and, on the 
mere assurance of my attempting to save her brother, she 
dismissed all anxiety and brewed her coffee with tranquil 
mind. 

I lay smoking my pipe when the Reis Effendina arrived in 
the early morning. 

"Ha!” he shouted as he approached. "There sits the 
conqueror of the world, smoking the pipe of victory. Im- 
prisonment does not seem to harm you.” 

"It was so brief,” I answered, holding out my hand to 
help him land and saluting him at the same time. 

"So I have learned from Abu en Nil; but I want the 
story from you. Come, sit down by me and tell me what 
you have done.” 

I obeyed him, and, when I had ended, told him of my 
promise to Kumra to beg her brother’s life. "I am sure,” I 
said, "that this plump Turk will readily promise to forsake 
his evil ways. Nature never intended him for a villain; he 


194 


JACK PAYS HIS DEBT. 


has not the brains nor courage. I ask you, emir, to pardon 
him for the sake of his sister’s goodness to me, under the 
condition that he swears to have no more dealings of any sort 
with Ibn Asl and gives us all the information he possesses as 
to his whereabouts and movements.” 

The Eeis Effendina shook his head. can hardly refuse 
you the means of paying such a debt, but I am reluctant to 
let even the most insignificant of this gang escape. I will 
give this Turk into your hands, however. Get this vow 
from him and let him go, if you must.” 

I lost no time in acting upon this permission. When 
Murad ISTassyr came up out of the pit on my summoning him 
his face was ghastly, and it seemed as if great folds had been 
made in his fat cheeks during the night. 

^^Murad Nassyr,” I began, ^^you deserve no mercy at my 
hands; but for your sister’s sake I will spare you. The 
emir has given me full power over you. If you will sol- 
emnly swear to renounce Ibn Asl and all slave-dealing for- 
evermore I will set you free.” 

^Ts that all you ask — nothing harder than that?” cried 
the abject creature, falling on his knees from gratitude and 
weakness. “ I will gladly do that. I have long seen that this 
man was my evil genius and regretted bitterly the peaceful 
days and honest life in Kahireh from which he lured me.” 

^‘And you must give us all the information that you pos- 
sess which will lead to his capture,” I reminded him. 

have sworn never to reveal what I know of him,” stam- 
mered Murad Nassyr. 

^Tt were a sin to keep such an oath. What is he, one man 
and a villain, beside the countless souls he is enslaving and 
murdering ?” 

will obey you. I see that I have done wrong. I am 
sorry, and I will return to Kahireh and resume my business 
there.” 


JACK PAYS HIS DEBT. 


195 


Swear, then, to renounce Ibn Asl, to tell us truthfully all 
you know of him, and that you will forsake slave-dealing, in 
any form, forever/^ 

He rose tremblingly, raised his hands to heaven and said : 
swear it by Allah, by the Prophet and the beard of the 
Prophet, and by the salvation of my ancestors and all my 
descendants. Never will I deal in slaves nor with slave- 
traders again. And may heaven bless you, Etfendi, that you 
have spared me who have so grievously wronged you,^’ he 
added, turning to me and lifting the hem of my robe to his 
lips with a gratitude that was unmistakably sincere. 

Come to the Reis Effendina ; you must fulfil your prom- 
ise and give him your information as to Ibn Asl's where- 
abouts.^^ 

He followed me without a word, though I could see that 
he was trembling at what he was about to do as well as at 
facing the emir. 

The Reis Effendina scowled at him as we approached. 
‘‘Your pardon is this Efiendi’s doing, not my will,^^ he said. 
“I have decided to take you with us to assure myself of your 
fidelity. We must leave the ship behind, as we are to pro- 
ceed by land, so I will send your sister with her attendants 
back by ‘Esch Schadin.^ You will now tell me all you 
know about Ibn Asl.^^ 

Murad Nassyr obeyed. At first he spoke so low that we 
could hardly understand him. But at last, plucking up a 
little courage, he gave us information which proved to be of 
the utmost importance. 

Just as he was ending we saw a queer procession approach- 
ing. First came Kumra, veiled, and bearing a steaming 
water pot in her hands. Behind her was Fatma, carrying 
ground coffee ; then two other servants, with cups and spoons, 
and lastly black girls, with pipes and tobacco. I almost 
laughed aloud, but the emir frowned forbiddingly and said : 


196 


JACK PAYS HIS DEBT. 


^^What are you doing here? Your place is in the harem, 
not in the councils of men.’’ 

But the procession kept on and stopped before him. 

^^Our place is indeed here, 0 most high lawgiver,” said 
Kumra. ^^We bring you refreshment after your journey, 
coffee, fresh and warm, and tobacco, a marvel of fragrance, 
precious as the odors of paradise. Drink, smoke and give 
my brother his freedom, for which I will bless you and shed 
upon you 

She got no further; her little arms had been too heavily 
burdened, her tender hands were burned with the hot metal. 
The steaming pot swayed from side to side, her body bent to 
balance it, but too late ! As she spoke the catastrophe came. 
The great water-pot toppled over, emptying all its boiling 
contents into the Eeis Effendina’s lap! I thought she 
would have fainted from fright ; not at all ! Instead she 
gathered the pot into her short arms and said : 

^Tatience, 0 emir, and I will boil more water 1” 

There was no hope of regaining the former solemnity of 
tone nor severity of manner toward the brother of this lovely 
but phlegmatic being. The Eeis took my arm, and we went 
to breakfast, Murad Nassyr joining us. His little sister, 
true to her promise, brought us more coffee, which this time 
we used internally and found it better than an external ap- 
plication. 


CHAPTEE XX. 


SELIM ONCE MORE. 

Acting on the information received from Murad Xassyr, 
the emir and I separated once more, I to follow up the river 
on shore, he, altering his plans, to sail after me, for we 
found it would be better to bring up the ^Talcon’’ after all, 
since we could not be sure when Ibn Asl would make his in- 
tended assault on the Dinkas, nor, when he had captured 
them, whether he would bring them down by water or land. 

Murad Nassyr and the ^^turtle dove” went on board ^^Esch 
Schadin,^’ and I may state here that when I parted from the 
contrite Turk and his sister, it was forever. 

But I received an addition to my force which was by no 
means a welcome one. Selim, the lengthy, the boaster and 
marplot, who had been so long with the Keis Elfendina wait- 
ing to join me, begged so hard to go with me this time that I 
could not refuse, and he, with Ben Nil, a negro called Agadi, 
whom the Reis had given me for interpreter in case we came 
upon any native settlements, and a force of ^^Asaker” suffi- 
cient to hold Ibn Asl at bay till the ship should come up if 
we met him, constituted my little army. Our march was 
made through a marshy country, and we were mounted upon 
oxen, as neither a camel nor a horse could traverse it. In- 
deed none other than that prosaic animal is found in that 
region, though the ox does not figure in poetry as frequently 
as ^The noble Arabian steed” and the ^^ship of the desert.” 

Our destination was a Dinka village, not the Gohks’, 
which Ibn Asl intended to raid, but another branch of that 
tribe, from whom we hoped to draw assistance in rescuing 

197 


198 


SELIM ONCE MORE. 


their kindred. We had seen no sign of a human being during 
our wearisome march of four days, but at twilight of the last 
day we came upon a deeply trodden path which led from the 
water. Between two posts erected over the path at the point 
where we came upon it hung a heavy rock, which was at- 
tached to a cross-beam between these posts, and on the rock 
hung a short iron spear, which was connected with a bundle 
of tempting reeds by a rope. There was a barbed hook on 
the end of the spear. We recognized in this contrivance a 
hippopotamus trap, and, concluding that where there was a 
trap there must be men who set it, resolved to conceal our- 
selves to watch for their coming, it being uncertain whether 
they Tvould prove friends or foes. 

Agadi, the interpreter, offered to reconnoitre the village, 
which we assumed was near by, an offer which we accepted. 
He was gone more than an hour and returned with the re- 
port that it was a settlement of the Dinkas of the tribe of 
Bor, the very tribe which we were seeking to aid us in rescu- 
ing their kindred. 

Just as we were about to sally forth on the strength of this 
assurance to visit the village we saw two negroes approach- 
ing, and resumed our position till we had made sure they 
were from the Dinkas. They went toward the river, and as 
I watched them I saw something coming up from the bank 
which made me hold my breath. It was a hippopotamus 
cow, a giant to judge by the size of the head, and by her side 
ambled her youngster, which was about as big as a New- 
foundland dog. Evidently the negroes had not seen this 
pair, and I watched anxiously for the men’s and the ani- 
mals’ discovery of each other, for the liippopotamus is not 
the mild creature it is sometimes said to be. It often 
attacks without provocation; when wounded it is always 
dangerous, and no wild animal tolerates the presence of man 
when it has young. 


SELIM ONCE MORE. 


199 


The mother and her clumsy child were enjoying an un- 
wieldy game of romps in the swamp, drawing nearer the 
men, whom I saw suddenly get behind trees, showing that 
they had seen the little one, which had preceded its mother 
some distance, quite unconscious of danger. I was all eyes, 
watching the scene with no thought of anything but the 
present moment, for I saw the negroes were absorbed in the 
prospect of a roast of tender young hippopotamus. The 
young and inexperienced future tid-bit, drawn by the bait 
in the trap which it now scented, came close to the men. In 
a moment they fell upon it, and, with two or three heavy 
blows on the upraised nose, dispatched it with the oars, 
which were their only weapon. 

Then I saw Nemesis coming in the shape which they 
ought to have known she would come in — the great body of 
the old hippopotamus. She had heard the death cry of her 
young, and responded with a roar which could be compared 
to nothing else, as she plunged toward its destroyers with a 
rapidity one could not have expected from such a tremen- 
dous mass of flesh. She passed under the trap, setting off 
the spring. The harpoon fell, but in the animal’s rear, be- 
cause she was moving so fast, and she continued her course 
unharmed till she reached the body of her calf, at which she 
paused, turning it over with her snout. 

Why the negroes had not looked for the old hippopotamus 
was hard to see, but evidently her coming was entirely unex- 
pected. They stood motionless, staring at her, transfixed 
with horror. But as she paused over the little one’s body 
they came to their senses and took advantage of their brief 
opportunity for flight. Throwing away their oars, they 
started to run toward their village. My hiding place was 
between the animal and the negroes, and it seemed to Selim 
and Agadi that lives as precious as theirs should not be 
placed in such hazard. They slipped softly through the 


200 


SELIM ONCE MORE. 


trees and were lost to sight, though Ben Nil, as usual^ stood 
by me. 

In the meantime the hippopotamus, having satisfied her- 
self that the young one was dead, rushed on after the 
negroes, who were still in plain view. The speed at which 
she moved was incredible, and as she ran she gave forth 
roars which no words could describe. As she approached 
me I stood still, not from fright, but because I was calculat- 
ing. Both barrels of my gun were loaded. I could have 
shot, but was too cautious to do so. The gigantic beast must 
be wounded in such a place that the wound should be mortal. 
The trees were sO thick that it was impossible to aim with 
certainty, and there are very few spots in a hippopotamus’ 
body where it can be wounded mortally. I would not at- 
tempt the shot from a distance. 

What followed happened quicker than it can be described. 
The scene of the drama, which came nearer being a tragedy, 
was a path made by the heavy feet of hippopotami, which 
was not a path in any ordinary sense, but rather deep 
holes filled with water. To the right and left the thicket; 
above, palm branches so shading the path with their great 
leaves that only a few straggling rays of moonlight could 
break through. The shouts and screams of frightened men 
arose in front of us from the village, which had been aroused 
to the danger of the negroes gone to look after the trap by 
the infuriated roars of the hippopotamus, and, to add to the 
horror, the forest resounded with the cries, howls and roars 
of beasts and birds awakened from their sleep by the roaring 
of the enraged mammoth and the human voices. And here, 
close upon us, a raging, furious mass, which had to be dis- 
posed of to save the lives of not less than a dozen men ! 

Hoping to get into the open where I could aim, I started 
to run, but in a moment I had stumbled and went headlong 
into the thicket as if thrown by ten-horse power. I heard 


SELIM ONCE MORE. 


201 


an awfnl roar close behind me, gathered myself np and flew 
onward. How I ran so fast I conld never tell, then nor 
now. The hippopotamus bounded after me, and I rushed 
blindly on, over holes and stumps, between the walls of the 
thicket. I stumbled over the bodies of the negroes who had 
fallen on their way to the village, and at last the darkness 
overhead began to lighten; I was reaching the clearing and 
the moonlight was flooding the ground. Just ahead of me 
black figures were wildly rushing to and fro, and I heard 
the hippopotamus stamping a man to powder not twelve feet 
from me. I made five or six long, running leaps, then stood 
still and aimed. First I made sure that my hand was 
steady, that I was not trembling from exertion. Then I 
fastened my eyes on the left ear of the hippopotamus. The 
shot echoed through the woods ; a second one followed it in- 
stantly. I ran toward the left into the shadow of the near- 
est hut, felt in my pocket for a new charge, reloaded and 
turned back to see what had been the result of my first shots. 

The beast stood erect, motionless. Her great jaws were 
open, showing her strong, blunt teeth. She looked as 
though she had intended to roar, but her gigantic jaws emit- 
ted no sound, for the source of her voice, the lungs, were 
wounded. A great shudder passed over her body. She 
swayed to the right, then to the left, pitched forward, swung 
from side to side again, then fell heavily, with the sound of 
a falling log, and lay stark and stiff without the slightest 
motion of a limb. 

In the meantime I had reloaded and come cautiously up 
to the head, ready for another shot should one be necessary. 
It never was. Both my first shots had gone home, one 
passing into the lung, the other into the brain; she was 
dead. 

For the first time I now looked about me to see what had 
been the effect of the encounter on the negroes. A few who 


202 


SELIM ONCE MORE. 


had been injured lay on the ground, and some were dead; 
but there was not another human being in sight. From the 
huts came sounds of voices. I went to the entrance of the 
largest of these huts and called: ^‘Selim, Agadi, are you 
here V’ 

^^Yes, Eifendi,^^ replied two voices, and, looking in, I saw 
my interpreter bound fast to stakes. 

‘‘Yow what does this mean?^’ I asked as I cut the ropes. 

‘They took you for Ibn Asl,^^ said Agadi, “and me for 
your spy. It will be all right now. Heaven, how fright- 
ened we all were V’ 

“They were frightened, Effendi,’^ said Selim, emerging 
from beneath a pile of blankets, his bronze face blanched. 
“I should have saved them if you had not. I was about to 
shoot when the beast fell.” 

“So I see,” I remarked. “All good hunters crawl under 
bedclothes to take aim. Lead me to the chief.” 

Agadi did as he was bidden, and, as we approached the 
chieftain’s hut, he came forth to meet me. He was a well- 
formed negro, almost perfectly black, his features of the 
characteristic negro type, and he was tattooed in a fashion 
doubtless beautiful to the initiated. He made me a deep 
genuflection, scanned my face closely, his gaze getting every 
moment more friendly, and at last said : 

“Ho, you are not Ibn Asl.” 

He used the language of his tribe, so that Agadi had to 
interpret. 

“I have come to warn you of a new crime planned by that 
wretch, so you may trust me.” 

“Agadi has told me. I do trust you now with all my 
heart. Tell me how I can show my gratitude to you. I will 
do anything for you.” 

“I have done nothing to merit gratitude; but there is 
sometliing which I might ask of you, for which we will pay 


SELIM ONCE MORE. 


203 


you honestly. We need oxen for riding and to carry our 
packs.^^ 

‘‘Then it is true that Ibn Asl will attack the Gohks?” 

“It not only is true that he will, but that he is already 
about the work. I know that you are of the same tribe, and 
hope that you will help us save them.^’ 

“They are our kindred and neighbors, and it is our duty 
to stand by them. Besides, you have delivered us. They 
are strangers to you, nevertheless you are trying to rescue 
them. How could we, who are related to them, refuse our 
help ? How many oxen do you need 

“Possibly two hundred. Can you get us so many, and 
that quickly ?” 

“You can have a thousand by to-morrow noon, for we are 
richer in cattle than any other tribe. Two hundred will not 
be enough.” 

He looked at me laughing as he said this, as if something 
lay behind it, and I asked expectantly : 

“Why not?” 

“Because two hundred cannot carry the force of our war- 
riors which will go with you. When strangers go to rescue 
our kindred we cannot stay behind. I will send two hun- 
dred of my best warriors with you.” 

This was better tidings than I dared hope for, and I 
answered joyfully : 

“They will be most welcome. We do not fear Ibn Asl, 
but we cannot be too strong. I will go to fetch my ‘Asaker’ 
into the village and will send messengers back to the Eeis 
Effendina that he may know where to find me and how gen- 
erously you will help us.” 

This I did, and we supped royally, my comrades, our new 
allies and I, on roasted baby hippopotamus, which really is 
an acceptable dish. 

After a refreshing nighf s sleep we wakened to a breakfast 


204 


SELIM ONCE MORE. 


of the same unusual delicacy, and then, since there was noth- 
ing to be done until the warriors and oxen could be gotten 
ready, I asked the chieftain, through Agadi, if there was any 
shooting to be had. 

'^You will not find anything about here, Effendi,’^ he re- 
plied. “Our presence has driven away all game ; but, if you 
will row across the river, you will get all you want.’^ 

“Do you know whether I might run across an enemy over 
there ?” I asked. 

“I know you have nothing to fear. You will not see a 
human being, for we are the only ones near here.’’ 

This assurance was quite enough, for the chief was well 
acquainted with the region, so I made ready to go hunting, 
taking Ben Nil with me. But Selim did not fancy this ar- 
rangement. He hastened after me, imploring : 

“Take me with you, Effendi ; take me with you.” 

“Not I,” I said, ^^’’ou are sure to do some idiotic thing. 
I don’t want you.” 

He threw up his long arms, clasped his hands over his 
head and shrieked : 

“Idiotic! I, Selim, the most renowned warrior in the 
world, idiotic ! Who ever heard the like ? You insult the 
very depths of my soul and wound the tenderest feelings of 
my heart. If fifty hippopotami and a hundred elephants 
attacked me they could not harm me ; I would lay more than 
that low in five minutes. And you are to shoot nothing but 
birds !” 

I should scarcely have yielded even to this heart-rending 
appeal, but Ben Nil seemed to want the old gas-bag to enjoy 
himself, and begged me to let him go, reminding me that he 
really could do no harm. 

^^ell, let him come, then,” I said ; “but he will scare ofi 
the birds, if he can’t do anything worse, for he is doomed to 
make a mess of everything he puts his finger in,” 


SELIM ONCE MORE. 


205 


We took a small boat and rowed out on the river. A little 
way up on the opposite bank we saw a small inlet, into which 
I steered. Selim was rowing, and the instant we got near in 
he pulled so hard on one oar that I could do nothing with 
the tiller, and he landed us on, or rather in, a marshy island 
overgrown with reeds. Selim thought it was solid land. I 
saw that he was making ready to jump and I shouted : 

^^Stop ! You’ll go through.” 

Too late ! He had made the jump quicker than I could 
speak, and my prophecy was fulfilled on the spot, for he im- 
mediately disappeared in the long grass. Our hght boat 
nearly capsized when the careless fellow leaped. I jumped 
to the other side to right her and Selim’s head appeared, 
terror written on his face, while he clutched the boat rail, 
drawing us downward. 

^^Let go, you idiot ; you’ll upset us !” I shouted^ ^^Lif t up 
your legs ; swim !” 

must get in ; take me in,” he blubbered. ^^The croco- 
diles ! The crocodiles ! Lift me, quick, quick ; they’ll get 
me !” 

There was not a sign of a crocodile anywhere; neverthe- 
less the coward hung stiff and wild with fright on the edge 
of the boat, so that with Ben Nil and me leaning with all our 
might over the other side, we were in momentary danger of 
upsetting. 

^‘Don’t stay on that side; take me in,” Selim implored, 
pulling himself along the edge toward us, trying to escape 
the crocodiles which were not there. As he passed to the 
stern the little boat keeled over, and in an instant we were 
all in the Nile. I struck out for shore. Ben Nil instantly 
rose and followed me; but Selim, Selim, the hero, grabbed 
my foot, and I actually towed the creature in and hauled 
him up the bank, where he lay with his eyes closed as if 
drowned. 


2o6 


SELIM ONCE MORE. 


isn’t dead ?” said Ben Nil doubtfully. 

^^Certainly not; no one drowns so quickly. Selim, open 
your eyes.” 

He obeyed, looked at us and then at the water with an ex- 
pression of anguish and shrieked : 

^^Where are the crocodiles, where are they? Quick! get 
away from here.” 

He actually started to run, but I held him fast, saying : 

^^Stay where you are, coward! No crocodile is such a 
fool as to mistake you for good eating. You are perfectly 
safe here. There isn’t a crocodile anywhere around, but our 
shooting is done for, thanks to our letting you come with us. 
I knew you’d do some fool thing.” 

These words aroused him. 

‘T?” he exclaimed. ^^Effendi, it was you, not I, who 
steered to that treacherous island. And as to drowning, I 
tell you I am so at home in the water that I would be more 
likely to drown on land than in the waves.” 

^‘You don’t say so! Then go in and dive for our guns 
and bring the boat here.” 

He scratched his renowned ear and was silent. Of course, 
I had no idea of sending him after the guns and boat, but 
emptied my pockets, took off my belt with my knives, laid 
them in the sun to dry and went into the river to get our 
property. 

There was no trouble in finding the guns, for they lay 
exactly under the spot where the boat had capsized, and, 
while I was disentangling them from the grass, Ben Nil, who 
had laid off all unnecessary encumbrances and followed me, 
righted the boat, and we pushed it ashore, guns and all safe. 

We sat down on the bank and set to work emptying out 
the gun barrels and drying them. Our faces were turned 
toward the v/ater, and we talked in ordinary" tones, having 
the chief’s assurance that there was no danger of being over- 


SELIM ONCE MORE. 


207 


heard. Unfortunately he was mistaken when he said no one 
was in that neighborhood. There was some one about, as 
we were to discover. 

When I had finished working on my gun and was about 
to begin on my revolver I heard a voice behind me cry in a 
tone of command : 

^^Quick ! Seize them and bind them.” 

Before I could spring to my feet I was overpowered and 
thrown down. Three or four dark-visaged fellows knelt on 
me, while another bound my arms with his head cloth. I 
tried vainly to throw them ofi. Once I half succeeded, but 
at last I was bound and resistance was impossible. Three 
other men had in like manner disposed of Ben Nil. Selim, 
^The greatest hero of the world,” had been conquered by one 
man I 

Now that we were all rendered powerless, the leader of the 
gang came forward from the bushes and strode over to me, 
saying: 

^^You here in Maijah Semkat, you dog ! This is the work 
of Allah. He has given you into my hands, and this time 
you are at the end of your rope.” 

I looked up and saw in amazement that it was the muza- 
^bir, the man from whom I had already escaped so for- 
tunately and who thus far had been able to escape me. 


CHAPTEK XXL 


THE MUZA’BIR AND THE MOKKADEM GET TO THE END OF 
THE ROPE. 

The muza’bir stood looking down upon me with an ex- 
pression of keenest delight upon his face and he said, con- 
tinuing to gloat over his triumph : 

^‘The devil has helped you escape us many times when we 
thought we were sure of you. But this time even he can be 
no use to you, for we won’t give you time to escape. As 
soon as we reach the camp you shall be hanged. It is a pity, 
for that death is far too quick for you ; you should have been 
put to slow torture. But, if you tell me the truth, you may 
escape it, so speak out. Whence came you here ?” 

He spoke of a camp. Could Ibn Asl be near here? 
Hardly likely. But, whatever it meant, it would avail me 
nothing to be silent. Still less did I mean to tell him the 
truth, so I said : 

^W^e three came up the river alone; no one else came 
with us.” 

^^Don’t lie, dog ! Your boat betrays you. There are no 
such boats around here ; it belongs to a ship, and that ship is 
the Keis Effendina’s. Confess. From whom did you get 
that boat ?” 

I thought I would tell the truth this time, hoping it would 
make him believe me later, so I answered : 

^Y"ou are right, I got it from the Keis Effendina.” 

'T thought so. Where is his ship ?” 

"It lies down the river, a half a day’s sail from here.” 

"I wonder if I can believe you. Why are you not with 
him?” 


208 


THE MUZA^BIR. 


209 


were sent ahead to set hippopotamus traps, so our 
'Asaker’ would have meat when they came up. We are after 
Ibn Ash” 

After Ibn Asl !” he echoed, laughing scornfully. ^'You 
have no idea where to find him.’’ 

^'Where is he ?” I asked with what I tried to make child- 
like simplicity. 

^^Where is he?” he repeated, sneering. ^^Do you expect 
me to tell you ? Still, I will tell you, fo prove to you that 
there is no need for us to fear you, that you really are lost. 
Ibn Asl has gone with more than two hundred warriors to 
Wagunda to capture the Gohk negroes for slaves.” 

^^Why did you not go with him. Were you afraid?” 
afraid ? I ought to answer that question on your face. 
I stayed behind with the Mokkadem, because after Ibn Asl 
has made the capture he will return this way, and we are 
building a new seribah of slight huts to shelter the slaves till 
they can be taken to market. You shall see this new seri- 
bah. We will start at once.” 

He had nine men with him. Two of them took Ben 
Nil, another pair took Selim between them and the other 
five were entrusted with me, with the caution to be especially 
careful that I did not escape. 

We were borne along the river bank, and after a little 
while we came to the end of the woods, and I saw a grass- 
grown plain leading up from the water’s edge for nearly two 
miles. Then we saw more woods, on the border of which 
some huts had been erected. Their circular walls were made 
of clay and rushes and their funnel-shaped roofs were 
thatched. This was the new seribah of the slave-dealers. 

Four men came toward us as we approached. Three had 
African features, but in the fourth I recognized my old ac- 
quaintance, the Mokkadem. He was thunderstruck at the 
sight of me. But when he recovered sufficiently to do so, he 


210 


THE MUZA^BIR. 


expressed his delight at my capture in no measured terms 
and asked the particulars of its accomplishment. The 
muza’bir gratified his curiosity, repeating to him the infor- 
mation I had given him, over which they both chuckled as a 
proof of my stupidity. 

Since the muza’bir had informed me that I was to be 
hanged without delay, I was casting about in my mind for 
means of a speedy escape. The head cloth with which I was 
bound, my hands tied fast to my sides, must be broken, and, 
though it was not new, it was strong. I began to strain on 
it cautiously, trying to get it so that it could be forced apart 
suddenly. Besides our two enemies, there were in the seri- 
bah twelve ^^Asaker,’’ whom Ibn Asl had left there, all well 
armed, though with pistols and knives, not long guns. A 
little to one side were two oxen, saddle oxen apparently, with 
their bridles thrown over their necks. It is not necessary to 
add that all our property had been left on the bank where we 
were captured. 

The Mokkadem agreed with his companion that we should 
be hung, but he held out for a little previous torture for me. 
While they were arguing this point I whispered to Ben Nil 
and Selim, who stood near me : 

am going to cut your bonds. Run, without once look- 
ing around, to our boat; get in, and be ready to row away 
when I come.’^ 

^^How can you free us?” whispered Ben Nil. ‘'You are 
bound fast and have no knife.” 

‘T shall do it. All you have to do is to follow my orders. 
I shall run in the opposite direction from you, and they will 
go after me and pay no attention to you. Be sure to wait 
for me to come.” 

The muza’bir looked around at that moment, and I, pre- 
tending not to see him, moved my arm as if trying to loosen 
the cloth. Instantly he was down upon me, crying : 


THE MUZA’BIR. 


2II 


“Dog, are you trying to get free? You won’t succeed. 
Ah, the cloth really is loosened. I’ll see to that !” 

He did not consider that in order to do this he must untie 
the knot. It was undone only an instant, but in that instant 
I had thrust up my elbow, gotten my arm free, thrown my- 
self on the muza’bir, with my right hand had drawn the 
knife from his girdle, while with my left I dealt him such a 
blow in the face that he fell over. Two quick cuts — Ben 
Nil’s and Selim’s bands were in halves, and both were run- 
ning as hard as they could run in the direction I had told 
them to take. 

All this happened with the greatest rapidity, but not too 
rapidly for the Mokkadem, who sprang forward and seized 
me by the left arm. I had the knife in my right hand, but, 
though I must get away from him, I did not want to stab 
him, so I threw it away, knocked him down and then ran 
for my life in the opposite direction from the one my com- 
rades had taken. This brought me to the oxen, and, acting 
on a sudden inspiration, I sprang on the back of one, seized 
the bridle and struck him a blow that started him on a dead 
run. His first movement showed me that he obeyed the 
bridle, and, as far as that went, I was all right. The 
slave-dealing gang came after me, howling like madmen. 
Looking back I saw that the muza’bir had recovered and 
had mounted the second ox to pursue me. I was well 
pleased. No one had given a thought to Ben Nil and Selim, 
and I had such a start that I felt sure I should escape. 
Unfortunately my confidence was not well founded; my ox 
stepped into a hole which I had not seen and fell, throwing 
me with such violence that it was a little time before I could 
pick myself up again. I was not hurt, though my whole 
body was jarred; but my poor ox had broken his forefoot, 
and I must depend upon my own speed for escape. 

The muza’bir had come up to within two hundred feet of 


212 


THE MUZA’BIR. 


me. I heard his triumphant shout as he waved his pistol 
toward me. The others v/ere also in pursuit, but too far 
behind to be reckoned with. I had to decide hastily whether 
it was better to try to run from the muza’bir or wait his 
coming up. I chose the former course. He was mounted 
and armed ; I was neither, but I resolved to trust once more 
to my keen sight and good luck. So I stood facing him as 
he rode upon me, and at about a hundred feet distance he 
aimed, and, shouting, “Die, dog; you will escape the rope, 
but here is a bullet,^^ fired — and missed me ! He would 
have been a better shot than he was to have done otherwise, 
with his ox at full gallop, so I was not surprised. 

The pistol had but one barrel. He drew the second pistol 
from his girdle. Once more he fired, and once more he 
missed me. Now was my time! Putting up the second 
pistol, he drew his knife. He was so crazed with rage at 
having missed me that he lost control of himself, and, in- 
stead of stopping beside me, he guided the ox wrong, and it 
darted past me before it could be drawn up. He lost but a 
moment by this mistake, but it sufficed to give me the advan- 
tage. I ran after him, sprang up behind him on the ox, and 
put my hands around his, pressing them so forcibly to his 
sides that the ox felt the pull on the bridle and started off 
again at top speed. 

“Dog!’^ he gasped. “Let me go or we shall both break 
our necks.^^ 

“Ifil break nothing,^^ I laughed; “but Til crush your 
bones. Drop that knife or ITl crack your ribs.” 

He held the bridle with both hands and the knife also in 
the right hand. He dropped it as I spoke, for as I did so I 
pressed him harder. 

“Stop I” he whispered. “My breast — ^you’re breaking it 1” 

“If you obey, nothing will happen to you. But, at the 
first sign of disobedience, I will crush you like a rotten 


THE MUZA’BIR. 


213 


apple. You have the bridle. Turn the ox toward the 
left.^^ 

I pressed his ribs as a gentle hint, and he did as I bade 
him, groaning with rage and pain. The ox ran at full 
speed over the grass toward the woods. In the distance I 
heard the voices of the Mokkadem and his men howling like 
demons, but we were far beyond their reach. We had nearly 
come to the woods when the muza’bir attempted to swing 
his leg over the ox^s back, hoping to slip thus through my 
arms. I had no intention of letting him get away, so I re- 
laxed my hold just long enough to give him one of those love 
pats on his temple, which had earned me the name of ^^Old 
Shatterhand” among the Indians, and the raised leg sank 
peacefully into place as his body drooped forward on the ox’s 
neck. I took the bridle from his powerless hand, held him 
with the left arm only, and guided the willing beast 
toward the moat, which I reached with no further ad- 
venture. 

Ben Nil and Selim were awaiting me anxiously, and, as 
they saw me, Ben Nil cried joyously: ^^Hamdulillah ! 
Praised be Allah that you come. We have been terribly 
anxious about you, Effendi. But who have you there? Is 
it By the Prophet, it is the muza’bir !” 

^^That’s just who it is. He meant to have us, and now we 
have him.” 

^^What luck! What a victory for you! How did you 
do it ?” 

‘T’ll tell you later. Get him on board and hasten away. 
The whole gang will be after us.” 

^^We have our weapons,” said Ben Nil as he and Selim 
dragged the limp muza’bir into the boat. I followed, 
seated myself in the stern, took the tiller ropes, wliile the two 
men rowed, and the light craft flew down the river to the 
Dinka village. 


214 


THE MUZA’BIR. 


I found, as I had expected, that the Eeis Effendina had 
arrived during my absence. He had posted sentinels on the 
bank, and the whole camp was alarmed over our long delay. 
When the Eeis learned from me what had happened, and 
saw that we were returning with one of Ibn Asl’s chief allies 
as prize his amazement and delight knew no bounds. His 
pleasure soon gave way to his indignation, remembering the 
many crimes of the man now in his power, and his long pur- 
suit of him. The emir was not a person to let the grass 
grow under his feet. He held with Macbeth that what was 
to be done was well done quickly. As the muza^bir re- 
turned to consciousness the Eeis Etfendina took him by the 
arm and led him into the full glare of the camp fire. 

“Do you know me ?” he demanded sternly. 

“You are the Eeis Effendina. I am glad to be in your 
hands, for now I have nothing to fear,” replied the prisoner 
in tones that he meant should be confident. 

“Whether or not you fear me is your affair,” said the 
emir. “Mine is to administer justice.” 

“If you are just you will set me free, for I have not 
wronged you,” said the muza’bir. 

“No barking, cur. You are a slave-dealer, and you are a 
subject of the Viceroy, in whose place I stand. You knew 
when you were captured and brought before me that your 
hour had come. My law is the law of the desert : ^Like to 
like’ ; Voe to him who does evil !’ Aziz, bring a rope.” 

Aziz was our old friend, the Eeis’ “right hand,” and he 
went readily to get the required rope. As he returned with 
it, and the muza’bir realized that his hour actually had 
come, he cried out : “Effendina, you are not in earnest. Con- 
sider the consequences! The Mokkadem of the sacred 
Kadis is my friend. He knows that I am innocent and will 
make the Viceroy answer for my death.” 

“The Mokkadem is also a friend of mine,” said the emir 


THE MUZA’BIR. 


215 


coolly, '^and to-morrow he will swing contentedly beside yon 
here. Up with him on the bongh.’^ 

Three ^^Asaker’’ held the muza’bir, while Aziz laid the 
noose over his neck and threw the other end to two more 
‘^Asaker/’ who climbed a tree to attach it to a branch. The 
condemned man tried to resist, shrieking and howling, until 
I could not help asking mercy for him, but the emir turned 
on me in a rage and said : ^^Be silent ! You know how often I 
have been merciful for your sake. If I had not done so we 
might have been through with these villains now. If you 
will make these pleas of weakness and ignorance of the evil 
we are trying to stamp out you run the risk of angering me 
so deeply that our friendship will be ended. Be quiet, and, 
if you cannot bear the sight, go away till the man is 
hanged.’^ 

This was plain language. I would not have allowed a 
friend to speak thus to me, yet I saw that the Eeis was much 
disturbed, and I could not but acknowledge that my plea 
really was unjust and foolish. Naturally I said no more 
and walked away, for I had no desire to witness an exe- 
cution. 

In less than an hour I heard steps, and, turning, saw the 
Eeis Effendina coming to seek me, and, as I turned to meet 
him, I saw the dark figure of the muza’bir outlined in the 
moonlight, swinging from the limb on which he had paid the 
penalty of his crimes. The emir’s anger had disappeared 
as quickly as it had arisen. He was smiling and said, hold- 
ing out his hand : ^'Effendi, justice is done, but only partly 
satisfied. We must get the Mokkadem, too. I hope your 
humanitarianism won’t prevent you leading me to capture 
him. If it does, Ben Nil must take your place. I warn 
you honestly I will hang him as I said I would the moment 
I catch him.” 

“My sense of justice is as robust as yours,” I replied. 


2I6 


THE MUZA'BIR. 


‘‘Hang a thousand men if they deserve it, and you can put 
an end to the suffering and death of the slave victims they 
are making. I will lead you to the Mokkadem.’’ 

“Those are welcome and sensible words. We must start 
at once, for you have told them that I am down the river, 
and we shall surprise them.’’ 

We took enough “Asaker” for our purpose and the Dinka 
chief, who requested to be allowed to accompany us. The 
emir, Ben Nil and I led the way in the small boat. 

It was bright moonlight when we reached our destination. 
As I have already said, the seribah stood on the edge of the 
woods. A camp fire was burning, and so entirely secure did 
the Mokkadem feel that he had not deemed it necessary even 
to post sentinels. We saw the men sitting around the fire 
without their guns, which were evidently left inside the 
huts. I was glad of this, for I hoped the capture might be 
made without bloodshed and his followers be pardoned, al- 
though the Mokkadem’s fate was sealed. I had gone on 
ahead, and now turned back to call up our men and make 
this suggestion to the Eeis Effendina, but before I could 
speak he took me by the arm and drew me away, saying that 
I might be shot. I followed, with no suspicion of what was 
to happen, and said : 

“Shot ! Why, I was about to tell you they have no guns. 
We will fall upon them and ” 

“Effendi,” interrupted Ben Nil, “all but the Mokkadem 
are to be shot. The Eeis Effendina has ordered ” 

“Silence !” the emir said angrily. Then pointing toward 
the fire, he shouted to his men : 

“Now, fire, quick !” 

Twenty guns were raised and twenty shots rattled. All 
the men, seated unsuspecting around the blaze, fell at the 
same moment, while the Mokkadem started up and rushed 
into the shadow. 


THE MUZA'BIR. 


217 


I guessed that he would make for the river, and ran in 
the opposite direction from the one he had taken, while the 
emir shouted after me: ^^hat ails you? The other way; 
there’s the fellow, the other way !” Not heeding, I ran on, 
calculating as I ran that he would never risk going out in 
the full moonlight, but must have taken refuge in the high 
marsh grass. I turned in that direction, and in a moment I 
saw him. I slipped out of sight myself, and he ran 
toward my hiding-place. As he came up I rose, and 
when he saw me he fell back, crying : Oh, Allah ! the 
Effendi ! ” 

He was so shocked that he never thought of using his 
weapons, but only of flight. As he turned to run away I 
seized him around the body, lifted him and literally threw 
him to the ^^Asaker” who were pursuing him. I felt no fur- 
ther responsibility, and hastened back to the Eeis ESendina 
and ventured to reproach him for the slaughter of the twelve 
followers of the Mokkadem. “Twelve !” he exclaimed. “If 
I forgave this twelve I should have to forgive all the slave- 
dealers in the Soudan. They deserved their fate, as I know 
better than you can. Woe to them who do evil! Let us 
look after the Mokkadem and then return with him and 
finish up this good day’s work.” 

The Mokkadem was bound hand and foot and laid in the 
boat, and we rowed back to the Dinka village more slowly 
than we had come. Either the man had sufficient nerve to 
control his fear or he really did think that the emir would 
not dare touch one so high in authority, for he acted as 
though he were perfectly secure, and even ordered the Eeis 
Effendina to unfasten his bonds, threatening him with the 
power of the Kadis if he refused. 

For answer the Eeis pointed to the tree whereon hung the 
muza’bir’s body, saying: “There is your answer and the 
proof that my power is at least equal to yours. In a few 


2i8 


THE MUZA’BIR. 


moments you shall be at his side, as you have been compan- 
ions in crime. Look there !’’ 

As the prisoner’s gaze fell on the tree he was silent for a 
moment, while his eyes seemed starting from their sockets. 
Then he cried in horror-stricken tones : 

‘^Who is that? Am I seeing aright? 0, Allah, Allah, 
Allah ! It really is the muza’bir !” 

^^Yes,” nodded the Eeis. ^^He exalted himself over us, so 
we gave him that high place. Yours shall be as much 
higher, as you are more exalted than he.” 

'^You dare not, you dare not !” shrieked the Mokkadem as 
Aziz fixed the rope around his neck at a sign from the emir. 

is murder ! Your life shall pay for it ! I will destroy 
you ! Let me go — mercy, murder — ah ! ah !” 

^‘Silence, you cur!” interrupted the emir. .^^How dare 
you threaten me ? Do you imagine your insane ravings are 
hasheesh that will make me forget my duty? You know 
that all your deeds are known to me and yet you dare 
threaten me. Up with him — up ! at least two branches 
higher than the other villain. Let his sacred Kadis, with 
which he threatens us, save him ! Allah is just, and I am 
doing his will. Woe to him who does evil. Up with 
him, up !” 


CHAPTER XXII. 


FRIEND 8 FALL OUT. 

It was the sixth day after the capture and execution of 
the two coadjutors of Ibn Asl, and we were on our way in 
pursuit of the principal malefactor. 

Our train wound like a snake through the forest, the 
gigantic branches of its trees forming a shelter through 
which even the burning rays of the sun of the Soudan could 
not penetrate. This was a blessed thing for us, for the 
scorching heat in the open country beyond the woods de- 
stroyed all life. Yet the dangers surrounding us were not 
less than those outside, for under this vault of leaves lay 
ground which could not be called earth and which threat- 
ened at every step to engulf us as well as breed in us deadly 
fevers. It was a swamp, apparently without limit, from 
which rose the giants of the vegetable world, their gnarled 
roots tripping our feet as we felt for a secure foundation. 
We were all mounted on oxen, the Bor warriors in advance, 
then a band of ^^Asaker,” then pack oxen, then more soldiers 
and more beasts of burden. It was fortunate for us that 
the negroes had joined us, for otherwise we never should 
have reached our destination, but been swallowed up in the 
swamp in which they were as much at home as if it were 
their native country, and their accustomed eyes distin- 
guished at a glance between the spots where one could tread 
and those in which it was death to plant a foot. We could 
proceed only in single file, and I rode, wondering at the 
accurate vision of our guides, and learning every moment to 
219 


220 


FRIENDS FALL OUT, 


respect oxen more and more, for, without these reliable 
beasts even the Bors would not have come out safely. 

At each step they sank half a leg deep, yet never seemed to 
tire, and each one perfectly understood that he was to put 
his feet in precisely the same spot that his predecessor had 
trodden. 

For three long days we rode through this deadly country, 
driven almost mad the while by the insects which stung and 
tortured us. There was no place safe to encamp in at night. 
The water gave out and the air we breathed was hardly to 
be called air, but a blasting fever. Hence it may be im- 
agined that we heard the long drawn shout of the Bor chief, 
which all his men repeated, and which announced that we 
had come to the end of the swamp, with unspeakable grati- 
tude. 

The Bor chief drew up, waiting for us all to come up with 
him, for he had reached solid ground, which allowed us to 
ride together, and, turning to us, he said : 

‘^The swamp is behind us and good roads lie ahead. Soon 
we shall drink water and see fields which belong to the 
Gohks. By evening we shall be in Wagunda.” 

These tidings we received with cheers and shouts. The 
men, heretofore so silent and listless, began to chatter and 
grow lively. Even the oxen seemed to know that they were 
near their journey’s end, for they began to bellow and 
pushed forward, no longer keeping in their order of march. 
In a short time we emerged into full sunshine, which was 
like plunging into an ocean of light after the long twilight 
we had passed through, and its great heat was to us no more 
than a welcome warmth that penetrated gratefully our 
bodies and revivified all our senses. 

We came upon a brook, or what is called a brook in the 
Soudan, though not what we mean when we use the word at 
home, for in that country of swamps and deserts every little 


FRIENDS FALL OUT. 


221 


swell of ground is a hill and every stream that is not posi- 
tively stagnant is a brook. We followed this ^d)rook’’ up- 
ward till it emptied into a little river, on which stood a small 
Gohk village, before which we halted to send a messenger 
into it with tidings of who we were and why we had come, 
lest its dwellers might flee, frightened at our approach. 

We saw him returning, apparently with every living thing 
of all ages and sizes in the village streaming behind him, 
fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, young men and maidens, 
and all the children coming out to see us, attired in the best 
finery time and their possessions allowed them to don. An 
old, gray-headed man who was presented to us as the head of 
the village, was clad simply in a pair of something like bath- 
ing tights, yet wore on his head a round structure of basket 
work, which was certainly three feet high, and adorned with 
waving feathers. A village belle had twisted her hair into 
ringlets and then so stiffened it with fat and oil that it 
looked as though she had bored a half gross of corkscrews 
through her skull from within and left them standing up 
around her head. A youth, unquestionably the village 
Adonis, wore airily the brim of a hat which had been tom 
from its crown at some long previous day. His right foot 
was clad in a soleless leather shoe, while the left wore a 
sandal. But his chief ornament — possibly the most pre- 
cious possession in all the village — was a pair of brass spec- 
tacle rims, guiltless of glasses, which he had tied around his 
neck with a slender string. 

I would gladly have continued the study of these full- 
dress costumes, but the old man took the proud owner of the 
spectacle rims by the hand and led him to the Eeis Effen- 
dina, who had been pointed out to him as our leader, and 
began with much gesticulation a speech, of which we could 
not understand a word, but of which the meaning was plain 
by the pantomime before our interpreter told us that he 


222 


FRIENDS FALL OUT, 


said : ^^You are strangers, most noble lords, and you wish to 
go to Wagunda. This young man, who owns this precious 
ornament, alone is worthy to guide you thither.” 

We responded politely, gave the old man some trifling 
things, which were infinitely valuable in his eyes, however, 
and rode on, the proud possessor of the maimed spectacles 
leading the way. He was a good runner, in spite of his be- 
ing so queerly shod. He kept up with our oxen, leading us 
up the river at a rapid pace toward the village of Wagunda, 
doomed, unless we could get there in time to save it from 
being raided by Ibn Asl. 

At last, after long travel through unshaded plains, we 
reached woods through which we rode to the banks of a 
lake. A glance sufficed to show us that we were near our 
destination. The lake shores were surrounded by fruitful 
fields and canoes lay on the water’s edge. To the right rose 
a hill, which really deserved the name, and its summit was 
crowned by a thick thorn hedge shutting off a glimpse of 
what lay behind it. 

There was a small opening in this hedge through which 
people were streaming, coming down the hill toward us, and, 
as the dwellers in Wagunda had been apprised of our ap- 
proach by a messenger, we knew that they were pouring 
forth to give us a formal welcome. We drew up in order to 
receive them at the foot of the hill, the Eeis Effendina, the 
Bor chief and I in front, our followers and pack oxen in the 
rear. The Wagunda Gohks were, of course, on foot, and 
armed with spears, sabres, knives, clubs and bows and ar- 
rows. As they moved toward us we also advanced toward 
them, and whoever had a gun fired it, all howling like sav- 
ages as some of us were, but I bore my part in this ceremony 
so faithfully that my throat was raw for some days. 

After we had finished our evolutions and vocalizing — and 
this took a quarter of an hour — we drew up in two parties, 


FRIENDS FALL OUT. 


223 


each under our own leader, and faced each other. Then the 
Gohk chief stepped forth, and, with many genuflections to 
the emir, swaying his body to the right and left as if he 
were in agony, rolling his eyes, wringing his hands, leaping 
backward and forward, twisting his neck and going through 
the most violent and marvellous contortions, began a speech 
to the Reis Effendina, which lasted for another quarter of an 
hour, setting forth his gratitude and willingness to die for 
any and all of us who had risked our lives to rescue him and 
his people. At the last word all the Gohks burst into jubi- 
lant cries, in which we joined to the best of our ability. 

Now it was the Reis Effendina’s turn to reply, which he 
did briefly, in kindly words of praise of the Gohks, fierce 
denunciations of Ibn Asl, and with strong protestations of 
his intention to rid the country of the man who had for so 
long been its curse. A silence fell upon the Gohks as he 
ceased speaking. I felt that the speech had not pleased 
them and guessed that it was because it lacked the noise and 
gesticulation which was essential to the savage notion of a 
good speech. While I was wondering what could be done to 
repair this mistake the Gohk chief uttered a few long cries, 
pointing to me as he did so. I was mystified, but the inter- 
preter exclaimed to me that they wanted a speech from me. 
A speech! This was as truly ^^unexpected^’ as the after 
dinner orator assures his audience a like request is to him, 
but I summoned my wits to help me out of the scrape. Set- 
ting my ox running at full speed, I rode round the Gohk 
chief some twenty times, giving the while the war whoop of 
the Apaches, which I had learned while among the Indians, 
sprang from the ox, leaving him to run where he would, 
stood before the gaping chief, threw up my arms and began 
reciting the famine from ^^Hiawatha.^’ As the poem prog- 
ressed — and a few lines omitted or mistakes made did not 
matter — I sprang here and there, threw up first one limb 


324 


FRIENDS FALL OUT. 


and then another, bent down and sprang np, ending at last 
with a wild howl and rapid shots from my gun. 

For a moment deep silence reigned. Then every voice 
among the Gohks and our own ^^Asaker” burst into cries that 
sounded like a western cyclone. I never heard such a noise 
in all my life. Ben Nil, who, though he did not understand 
what I had done, suspected a joke, and was delighted with 
my success. Only the emir remained silent, and, when 
opportunity offered, he called me aside to expostulate with 
me for having lowered his dignity by such pranks. 

^‘You will see whether I have done the harm you think or 
not,” I replied. ^^You and I know I was playing pranks, 
but I lose my guess if the Gohks have not a much higher 
opinion of us for my noise and agility.” 

Even as I spoke the Gohk chief came toward us. He had 
been consulting with his followers since I had ceased speak- 
ing, and now he bowed to the Eeis Effendina and said, of 
course, through the interpreter : 

^'Great lord, you have come to deliver us from pressing 
danger. You are more welcome than can be said. I hear 
that you are the favorite of the Viceroy. We are not his 
subjects, for we are free Gohks, of the great tribe of the 
Djangeh, but we honor you as he honors you. Be our guest 
and stay with us as long as it pleases you.” Then turning 
to me, he continued : ^^Great lord, the Bor chief, who is our 
brother, has told us briefly of your deeds. You come from 
a land where great men dwell. You blast your foes to dust 
with your hand, and no man can conquer you. And I have 
heard and seen you speak as I have heard and seen no other 
speak. Whoso hears your voice is enlivened as with strong 
drink, and the motions of your arms and legs prove the 
truth of your words. Should a foe resist your knife, your 
voice will conquer him. Therefore are you the man who 
can deliver us. Ibn Asl is a devil, and his men are demons. 


FRIENDS FALL OUT, 


225 


from whom there is no deliverance, but if you will go with 
us we shall not fear, for you alone are equal to a hundred of 
my warriors. I will summon my followers and put them 
under your command. Tell me that you will be our leader.” 

This certainly was not ''drawing it mild,” as Sairy Gamp 
would have said. According to this good negro, one would 
think I were what Selim claimed to be, a sort of fairy tale 
hero. Well, there really was no reason why I should not 
take the honor offered me, and I did think they would get 
on with me better than alone, since they had declined the 
leadership of the Reis Effendina. So I assented to the 
proposition, and my assent was received with jubilant cries. 

The emir had left me before the last words of the Gohk 
chief had been spoken, and it was evening before I saw him 
again. Then to my surprise and grief I found him in a 
most unfriendly state of mind ; in fact, jealous of the prefer- 
ence of these savages. 

"Are you an officer, Effendi ?” he demanded at once as I 
came up. 

"You know that I am not,” I replied. 

"And you know well that I am one, and, as Reis Effen- 
dina, one of no ordinary rank. Therefore it is most unbe- 
coming that you should lead this expedition. If you choose 
to lead the negroes, you may; but remember I am your su- 
perior.” 

His voice was angry, and I thought, considering that I 
had served him so well for so long, it need not have been so, 
but I pretended not to notice it and answered quietly : 

"Why do you tell me this? Have I ever disputed your 
rights or done anything except as you desired? I did not 
dream that you would object when I gave this chief my 
promise to lead them, but I will recall it now that I see you 
do. I am from the West, and it does not matter to me what 
happens here in the East. My plan was to march out to 


226 


FRIENDS FALL OUT. 


meet Ibn Asl toward Aguda, whence it is likely he will come, 
but if you have a better one I will gladly accept it, and, if 
you prefer, will help you to the best of my ability in the 
ranks. You surely know I have no thirst for such honor as 
lies in leading these men.^^ 

The emir, disregarding everything else I had said, took 
up my previous words and replied : ^‘You say truly that you 
are a foreigner and have no part in the affairs of the Sou- 
dan. You bewitched these simple people with your antics, 
and they think you are a better leader than I. I not only 
wish you to renounce the command the chief offered you, but 
I prefer that you should take no part in the capture of Ibn 
Asl.’^ 

^Y"'ou have spoken clearly this time,’’ I said, turning on 
my heel. ^‘1 need no further hint. I leave it to you to con- 
sider vrhether you have made a decent return for the services 
I have rendered you. Allah isallamak — God protect you.” 

So saying, I walked away, returning to my good Ben Nil, 
who received me with anxious looks, having had some hint 
from the emir’s men of the way the wind set. 

When he heard what had happened he was furious, and I 
had difficulty in keeping him from going forthwith to tell 
the emir and every one else what he thought of them. 

At last he calmed down enough to obey me, get our things, 
and go with me to lie down alone by the lake’s side, where I 
proposed spending the night. 

Although Ben Nil wondered at the apparent indifference 
with which I had accepted the new state of affairs, in reality 
I was not so calm as I appeared. It was not a pleasant ex- 
perience, and I did not get much sleep that night. What 
was more, I learned from Ben Nil that the emir intended 
marching to meet Ibn Asl in the opposite direction from the 
one I should have taken, and the more I thought of it the 
more convinced I became that such a course would prove 


FRIENDS FALL OUT. 


227 


fatal to the Gohks. I made up my mind that I had no right 
to sacrifice these people to my pride and that as soon as 
morning broke I would go to Fagoda, which was another 
Gohk village, and get help and lead my new allies in the di- 
rection in which I should have gone had I been permitted to 
lead these Gohks. 

Ben NiFs sleep had been light. He awakened early and I 
told him my resolution. 

‘^They are not worth it,” he replied. 

^^Why do you speak so? I know you are not afraid,” 1 
asked. 

^‘FTot for myself, but it is my duty to warn you of the 
dangers before you. You know that I would go with you to 
the ends of the earth. Fagoda is three days’ journey from 
here, through forests and swamps, and we have no oxen. 
You know the Gohk tongue no more than I. We have no 
interpreter ; you cannot make them understand your errand, 
and, last of all, we have nothing to eat.” 

‘W^e will live on what we can shoot, and for the rest I will 
trust once more to my good fortune. One thing is certain. 
I am convinced that Wagunda will be destroyed if the Eeis 
Effendina takes the route he intends taking, and I will make 
this desperate attempt to save the unhappy village.” 

^^Very well, Effendi, be it so, and I will start with you for 
Fagoda as soon as you are ready,” said the fine fellow 
quietly. Never yet had Ben Nil failed me in courage or 
devotion. 


CHAPTER XXIII. 


IBN ASUS LAST CRIME. 

Ben XiL and I had no preparations to make for our dan- 
gerous journey. We turned our steps away from the lake 
and started off in the direction in which we had come the 
day before, without a glance toward the village, which ap- 
peared to be still sleeping. We had walked but about ten 
minutes when we heard a kind of whining behind us, rather 
like that of a dog which has lost his master and cannot find 
the trail again. I turned around with my gun held ready to 
shoot. We were followed, but I soon saw had nothing to 
fear, for our pursuer was none other than the long Selim, 
who came after us in such gigantic strides that his garments 
fluttered behind him in the wind. 

^^Wait, wait, Effendi,^^ he called; ^Vhere are you going?” 

^^Where are you going rather ?” I retorted. 

^‘With you,” he panted as he came up with us. 

^^JSTot much ! You will stay where you are, you magnet of 
misfortune. I am going into danger. I have left the Reis 
Effendina because he is ungrateful to me.” 

have heard, and the ‘Asaker’ are regretting it, for 
they are fond of you, and they are hoping you will return. I 
rose up early to seek you, because I am your natural protec- 
tor. I took my knife and gun and left the village. Even 
as I started I saw you and called to you, but you could not 
hear me, so I have run after you.” 

am sorry, for you will only have to return.” 

^^Xo, Effendi, I will not return. If you do not take me 
with you I will follow^ you at a distance.” 

What was I to do? Ben Nil begged me to let him go, 
22l 


IBN ASUS LAST CRIME. 


229 


and I certainly could not have him lumbering alone behind 
me all the way to Fagoda ! He was a faithful old man, 
though unquestionably an idiot, and I knew he would follow, 
as he said he would, so I said ungraciously: ^^Come along 
then. I know you will bring misfortune upon us. But 
once more I will try to impress upon you that you must obey 
my smallest order to the letter.” 

^^All, all, Effendi,” he protested, laying his hand on his 
heart. ^^Demand of me what you will, I will do it ; only do 
not demand that I should leave you.” 

So it was with this addition to our rescuing force that we 
finally set out, and the addition soon made itself felt by 
bewailing the hunger from which Selim chronically suffered. 
We turned a little from the route wliich we expected Ibn 
Asl to take, toward the south. We did not come upon the 
swamps which we dreaded, but entered a tamarind forest 
which seemed to be endless. There was a large lake in 
the heart of these woods, however, beside which I was 
able to shoot some birds which served to satisfy, not only 
Selim’s clamoring stomach, but the necessity of us all. 
At sunset we came upon a second forest, having at last 
passed through the first one, and here we spent the night, 
the dry leaves and dead branches furnishing our beds. 

We resumed our course before the break of day, and soon 
were floundering through swamps and again swamps, where 
there was not an edible berry to be found nor a sign of game. 
If Selim complained the day before he was unendurable 
now, and made such a row that, hungry and tired as I was, 
I thought I should go crazy and shoot him if nothing else 
turned up. Fortunately rescue came, for, like a promise of 
help, we heard a voice overhead crying: ‘^Karnuk, karnuk, 
kamuk !” 

^^There’s our dinner!” cried Ben Nil. Where the kar- 
nuks are there are other birds.” 


230 


IBN ASUS LAST CRIME, 


^^Karnuk’^ is the Arabian name for the crane, because as 
it flies it cries: ‘^Karnuk, karnuk, nuk, nuk,^’ and I knew 
that Ben Nil was right, for its presence betokened water 
near at hand. We plunged to the right, heard the cry re- 
peated, and, calling Ben Nil to follow me, I unslung my 
gun from my shoulder and waded in the direction of the 
sound. 

^^Let me go with you,” said Selim. ^^All wild things 
tremble before my gun.” 

^^And then fly off unharmed !” I said. ^^No, my unlucky 
hero, you stay precisely where you are. Don’t you move 
from this bush, where we shall know where to find you. You 
are not to move one inch. Understand ?” 

^^Yes, I will stay just here, Effendi. I have promised to 
obey you to the letter. But only shoot something to eat, I 
beg you.” 

Promising to do our best, to which our own appetites 
urged us, Ben Nil and I went off to market, leaving Selim 
sitting in the exact spot designated. 

We made our way toward the head of the swamp and soon 
saw the cranes which had called us standing on one leg in a 
little lake in approved decorative art attitude. The hand- 
some gray birds, with their long crests, were splendid to 
look upon, but too old to be good eating. Beyond them, 
however, we spied a flock of geese and some plovers, which 
the natives of the Soudan call ^^sik-saks,” because of their 
note. 

Deciding that we preferred a goose, we crept over nearer 
to them, when suddenly the plovers started up, crying in 
fright : “Sik-sak, sik-sak !” 

^^What startled those plovers ?” I asked softly, pausing to 
look around. 

‘^We did; they saw us,” whispered Ben Nil. 

‘‘They couldn’t see us ; the grass hides us. Besides, if it 


IBN ASUS LAST CRIME. 231 

had been we that startled them, they would have flown away 
from us, not toward us.” 

^Terhaps they saw Selim.” 

^^That might be. Come on, we must have our goose, what- 
ever it was.” 

We succeeded in creeping up to the flock without startling 
them, and, taking aim, we each bagged a young fat one, 
which we dragged out of the water. Then, each with a 
goose in our hand, we started back to our starving hero, 
from whom we had been absent something over a quarter of 
an hour. 

We made the best time possible through the swamp, but 
when we got within sight of the spot where we had left him 
Selim was nowhere to be seen. 

^‘^That man has not stayed where you told him to,” cried 
Ben Nil, and, coming up to the place, I saw that there Were 
footprints leading thence into the swamp and branches of 
the shrubs growing near lay on the ground. 

^^He has gone back into the woods,” I said. ^^Now, what 
has he done that for ?” 

The question was scarcely uttered than I received its an- 
swer in an unexpected way. A figure rose up from behind 
the bush with the butt of a gun raised to strike. I would 
have sprung back, but it was too late; a blow struck me 
down, and as I struggled to rise a second blow robbed me 
of my senses. 

When I recovered later my head was in agony, and I saw 
everything as if through a veil, behind which figures were 
moving, and both my arms were fastened to my sides. I 
heard a voice that sounded far away, saying: ^^The dog’s 
eyes are open ; he is alive, then. What a pleasure for us !” 

I feebly tried to think where I had heard that voice before, 
but my senses were too far scattered by the blows I had re- 
ceived to place it. It continued : ^Tf you had died I should 


232 


IBN ASUS LAST CRIME. 


have missed a great deal, but now you live, and shall be tor- 
tured till you die by inches. This time you shall not escape 
me r 

Now I knew who was speaking ! It wa^ Ibn Asl, and I 
had fallen into his hands! Weakness and pain made me 
fall asleep as I made this discovery, and when I again awoke 
the pain was greatly lessened and my strength was return- 
ing. I opened my eyes, and what I saw was far from con- 
soling. I lay close to the spot where I had been captured, 
Ben Nil at my right, Selim on my left, both with their hands 
and feet bound, but alive. 

Before me sat Ibn Asl, his eyes fastened on my face with 
an expression of hatred and triumph; beyond were the 
Djangeh negroes whom he had forced or deceived into his 
service, busied with saddling and bridling a train of oxen 
which stood between the woods and the swamp — ^they were 
destined to carry the slaves which he expected to capture. 
As Ibn Asl saw that I was conscious, he rose, and, raising 
the hippopotamus skin whip which he carried, struck me a 
severe blow, saying: ^'At last Allah has heard my prayers, 
and delivered you into my hands ! Do you know what lies 
before you ?” 

“Yes,’^ I replied calmly; ^Treedom!’’ 

^^Dog! Do you dare to mock me?” he cried, giving me 
another blow which was heavier than the first. “I have 
already described to you the tortures which await you. You 
had the good fortune to escape me, but this time you cannot 
escape. I will cut off your e3^elids, and you shall go mad 
and die in the slow torture of sleeplessness I” 

^^You will die long before I do, and Allah will inflict upon 
you the pains you intend for me, but which you will never 
be able to make me suffer.” As I spoke it seemed to me that 
something assured me that I spoke the truth, and that this 
time, too, I should escape. 


IBN ASUS LAST CRIME. 


233 


able ?” Ibn Asl cried. a word from me you are 
dead, but I shall not speak it. You think I shall die before 
you? Don’t imagine that you will be rescued; I know on 
whom you reckon, but you hope in vain.” 

^‘You know nothing whatever of my hopes,” I said, to 
draw him out. 

‘^1 know everything,” he retorted triumphantly. ‘^You 
have learned my plans through Murad Nassyr, and you have 
come with the Bors to warn the Gohks of Wagunda.” 

^Y^'ou are dreaming,” I said, hoping to hear more. 

am not dreaming, and my informant is a sure one. 
This wise Selim of yours has acknowledged everything. You 
have combined with the Keis Effendina, but have fallen out 
with him, and are on your way to Fagoda to get help. For- 
tunately I shortened my march, for I had an inspiration, 
and decided not only to destroy Wagunda, but to fall on 
Fagoda also. This Selim is such a fountain of wisdom 
that it never occurred to him to run away when he saw me 
coming, though he had plenty of time, for our oxen could 
not pass under the trees as fast as he could have gotten away. 
If the warriors you have are equally sensible I shall have 
child’s play in dealing with them. We captured the man, 
and by threatening him with death found out all that we 
wanted to know. Then you came back and were captured; 
you are lost. Now we will start for Fagoda, and give you 
a glimpse of slave capturing. What you see there may give 
you an idea of what you have to expect.” He rose, and 
made a signal which brought all his followers to their feet 
to prepare for going.' I employed the moment thus secured 
by asking Selim if what Ibn Asl said was true, and he had 
actually sat still, waiting to be captured. 

‘^Certainly,” he replied. ^^Have you forgotten that you 
ordered me to stay where I was, and that I had promised to 
obey you in everything?” 


234 


IBN ASVS LAST CRIME. 


This was too much ! ^^Oh, yon idiot ! You most idiotic 

of all idiots !” I cried in a fury. ^^There never was anything 
to equal this ! How could I have known that Ibn Asl was 
coming? I knew well you would get us into some sort of 
scrape. If you had jumped into the bushes quickly at your 
first glimpse of Ibn Asl, before you were seen, you could 
have warned us, and he would now have been our prisoner 
instead of our being in his hands. And how came you to 
tell him everything about us V’ 

^^You heard him say that he threatened me with death 
^^Stupid! don’t you know that unless I deliver you you 
will be killed in spite of your information ?” 

^^Do you mean that it is possible that you can deliver us, 
dear Efiendi?” 

have not lost hope ; we have a saying that while there 

is life there is hope. Pray Allah that He may ” I was 

interrupted by the coming of some white ^^Asaker” to pre- 
pare us for the march. I was forced to rise, and a heavy 
“schebah” was laid upon me. A ^^schebah” is a stout forked 
branch, in the fork of which the neck of a slave or prisoner is 
thrust, and held there by a crosspiece of wood. Thus the 
prisoner retains the free use of his hands and feet, while the 
long branch which he has to carry before him prevents his 
escape. It seemed as though the heaviest bough possible 
had been sought out for me, but lest it were not sufficient I 
was also handcuffed, the handcuffs held together by a short 
chain. Ben Nil and Selim were secured only by the ‘^sche- 
bah.” 

The march began. A nnmber of good runners were sent 
ahead, then came a body of Djangeh, followed by Ibn Asl 
with his white ^^Asaker,” the remainder of the Djangeh 
bringing up the rear. Most of these people were mounted on 
oxen. The point of my ^^schebah” had a strong rope fastened 
to it, the other end of which was made fast to Ibn Asl’s 


IBN ASUS LAST CRIME. 


235 


saddle. We passed through open country for more than an 
hour ; then we saw woods before us outlined against the sky. 
One of the fore-runners came out from these woods and said 
something to the Djangeh leader, who then came up to Ibn 
Asl, evidently repeating the information. I had been think- 
ing that these negroes must be deceived, or they would not 
be with their arch-enemy, proceeding against their own kin- 
dred, and I had been puzzling over the problem of how I 
could let them know the truth. Hoping that this might be 
my chance, I summoned up the few Djangeh words I knew 
and cried in the tongue : ‘Min Asl anadscli rehn, ladd ginu 
Sclieik hador, Sclieih and wirt, afod ralin 

These words, which mean : ^Tbn Asl is a wretch ; he will 
murder your chief ; the chief is with us as our friend,” were 
all I could utter. Ibn Asl seized my “schebah,” pulling it so 
hard that I fell, and cried in a fury : ^‘Silence, dog ! You 
miserable liar ! Shall I stop your mouth with my whip ?” 
He drew his hippopotamus hide whip from his girdle, and 
as I started to rise struck me such a blow that I fell again. ‘ 
Then he bade the Djangeh withdraw, and as he obeyed I 
saw by the expression of his face that I had failed. He had 
not understood my words in the sense I had intended to 
convey. 

^Tf you attempt again to speak to a Djangeh I will gag 
you,” growled Ibn Asl as I rose to my feet. I knew that 
he would keep his word, and as, aside from the pain, it would 
only make matters worse if I were gagged, I resolved not to 
risk it. 

We passed through the woods in half an hour, and held 
our way until about eight o’clock in the evening; then we 
halted to await the spies who had gone on ahead. I felt 
sure we were near the doomed village. 

The oxen were made fast, but everything was done with 
scarcely a sound; fire was not made, and it was perfectly 


236 


IBN ASUS LAST CRIME. 


dark; but the rattle of chains and weapons told me they 
were preparing to attack. I tortured my brain trying to 
discover a means of warning these poor negroes. I could 
not get to them, but I thought if we were near enough to 
them for Ibn Asl to use such precautions my voice might 
reach them. I raised my hands painfully to my mouth, 
took a deep breath, and shouted three times ; to my surprise 
our guards offered no objections, but one of them burst into 
scornful laughter and said: ^^You fool! do you think Ibn 
Asl did not foresee that? He knows you, and that you 
would try to warn these black curs ; that is why he has left 
you here. The village is an hour away, so yell in heaven’s 
name, if you like it. I warn you it is the last thing you will 
do in this world.” 

I was silent, trying to find some comfort in the thought 
that at least I had done my best. And then we waited. It 
must have been ten or eleven o’clock, when suddenly the 
heavens glowed red toward the south. 

^^Hamdulillah, it has begun !” cried the last speaker joy- 
ously. ‘^The rats will be smoked out.” 

“Vfill you burn them?” I cried in horror. 

^^Burn them?” he laughed scornfully. ‘^Don’t you know 
anything about slave captures?” 

^T am no hunter of men.” 

‘^Then I will describe it.” 

^^Be silent with your descriptions 1” 

'^You must hear it ; it is not for you to command silence. 
When I will speak, I will speak, and of what I please. You 
know all negro villages are surrounded by thorn hedges; 
these thorns are dry, and burn well. When we have sur- 
rounded the village we light the hedge in several places. In 
a few minutes it is burning everywhere; the sparks fly on 
the huts, and the thatched reed roofs catch instantly. The 
negroes wake up and try to save themselves. The children 


IBN ASUS LAST CRIME. 


237 


and old people are too weak to do so, so they burn np; but 
the strong ones run out, and as it is just these whom we wish 
to capture, we grab them as they break through the burning 
hedges, for it is dark outside the fire, and they cannot see 
us. The first thing they know they are chained, and if they 
resist we stab them.” 

^^Be quiet !” cried Ben Nil. ^^You are not men, but 
devils !” 

^^You are right,” laughed the other. ‘^You will soon 
learn that we are devils. You will be worse off than the 
negroes we capture. They have nothing to complain of; 
whether they are burned, or shot, or stabbed, their death 
is quick.” 

Another hour passed, while the fire lighted even to the 
spot where v/e were waiting; then came two ^^Asaker” from 
Ibn Asl, and said to the three who were guarding us : “Ibn 
x\sl will show these captive dogs what a capture we have 
made. Follow us to Fagoda.” 

Obedient to this order we were taken to the scene of what 
proved to be Ibn AsFs last crime, where he was waiting our 
coming, seated on a rug, unmoved in the midst of the deso- 
lation. The village burned no longer, but the hunters of 
m.en had kindled a great fire and sat around it with their 
pre}^ men and beasts, for the Fagoda dwellers had been 
rich in herds. 

But the human beings ! It is forbidden to shed blood, 
but if my hands had been free the glimpse I had of the 
scene before me as I came up would have been Ibn Asl’s 
last moment on earth, and rightly so, for the liberation of 
his victims. They lay between tvro fires, the unfortunate 
creatures who but a short time before had been sleeping un- 
suspicious of their doom. The men had been separated 
from the women, and they, in turn, from the children. Be- 
tween their ranks guards with whips marched up and down ; 


238 


IBN ASUS LAST CRIME. 


the prisoners were bound, but if one of them moved ever so 
slightly, he was struck a blow that took off the skin. I 
turned awa}^, sickened, as did Ben Nil and Selim. Ibn Asl 
rose and went over to the children, feeling their little limbs 
to select the strongest of them. He saw our disgust and 
said : ^^The dogs will not look at what they see, eh ? Bind 
them to a stake in view of it all, and if they close their eyes 
whip them until they open them again.” This order was 
carried out; there was no need of the whip to keep my e3"es 
open — horror prevented me from closing them an instant on 
the scene before me. Ibn Asl continued his examination 
of the children; those whom he found strong enough to be 
transported to a distance remained where they were; the 
others were carried to one side and thrown down. When 
the examination was ended I heard a command given, and 
some of. his followers went over to the rejected children; 
knives flashed; I shrieked aloud with the agonized mothers, 
closed my eyes, and when I opened them not a child of them 
all still lived. 

I was insane with rage ; my body trembled, and I tugged 
madly on my chains, but in vain. But all was not yet fln- 
ished; the examination of the young men and girls fol- 
lowed, and those who were found unfit for his purposes Ibn 
x\sl had slain on the spot without wasting time on separat- 
ing them from their fellows. 

When the work was done the chains and ^^schebahs” were 
brought and the poor wretches destined for market were 
made ready for their transport. 

Ibn Isl, his task performed, came over to me, grinning 
diabolically, and asked : ^TIow do you like it ? Don’t you 
think we have made a good haul ?” 

I mastered myself sufficiently to reply calmly : ^^A truly 
splendid haul; I should estimate its value very highly, aside 
from the herds ; I congratulate you,” 


IBN ASUS LAST CRIME. 


239 


If the scene had been a different one, the expression on 
his face would have been funny as he stepped backward a 
little in surprise, staring at me and saying: “You con- 
gratulate me ? Allah surely works wonders ! Are you mad 
with pity for these niggers? Are you transformed? Are 
you ready to become a slave-captor 

“Yes, I too, mean to capture human beings, and I tell 
you frankly they are you and your white ‘Asaker/ ’’ 

He burst into laughter. “I and my white ^Asaker’ !” he 
cried. Then, as I continued to look steadily at him he 
stooped and carefully examined my shackles; then he rose 
and laughed again. “You almost made me believe you had 
got loose,” he said, “and were hoping to get away, but I see 
you have not, so I suppose you are really mad.” 

“I am in full possession of my senses,” I said. “But I 
know, as there is justice in heaven, that to-nighf s work has 
sealed your doom. Ibn Asl, as sure as the sun shall rise to- 
morrow, so surely will I get you into my hands, and you 
shall pay with the last drop of your blood for the blood of 
the victims of your greed and cruelty, the shedding of which 
you have made me the witness to-night.” 

He drew his knife and plunged toward me; paused, 
laughed, though his voice shook, and put the knife back into 
his girdle. “No,” he said ; “I see your trick to provoke me 
into giving you a quick death, now that hope has left you, 
and you have seen what you are to suffer. But you shall not 
succeed; you shall live a little longer for the tortures des- 
tined you.” 

“It is kismet, as you would say ; it is the will of God, as I 
know,” I said. “Ibn Isl, your hour is near; never again 
shall you dye the earth with innocent blood. I am your 
prisoner, but I shall be your victims’ avenger.” 

He struck me in the face with his whip, but walked away 
without another word. 


CHAPTEE XXIV. 


TEE TASK FULFILLED. 

We spent the night in that scene of misery, but I turned 
my back toward the spot where the worst of the crimes had 
been enacted and strove to close my ears to the groans of 
the survivors, whose wretchedness I was powerless to relieve. 

Early in the morning we were roused — not from sleep, 
for none of our little party had slept a moment — but from 
so-called rest, to resume our journey. 

I was bound on an ox which unmistakably was a pack ox, 
for its pace jarred and shook me inexpressibly; I could not 
guide the beast into the smoothest places, because the heavy 
^^schebah’’ was still around my neck, and I had to hold it up 
with both hands. My ox was tied to the one Ibn Asl rode, 
and every jerk his animal gave was torture to me. Ben Nil 
and Selim followed immediately behind me, and after them 
came part of the white “Asaker,” the rest having pre- 
ceded us. 

When they had handcuffed me I had tried to make my 
hands as large as possible on the slender chance of getting 
them through the iron later, but in the meantime they had 
swollen so dreadfully and were in such a condition from 
sweat and blood that there was no hope of drawing them out 
of the handcuffs. My only chance lay in getting them into 
water. Oh! for an hour in the blessed, cooling waves 
which were flowing freely over the green world, so far be- 
yond my reach ! 

The sun had not risen, nor the last stars disappeared as 
we set forth, and we proceeded at such a pace that it was 

240 


THE TASK FULFILLED. 


241 


clear that Ibn Asl intended swooping down on Wagunda 
and surprising it before the time when the Eeis Effendina 
calculated that he could get there. 

We stopped to rest the oxen and let them graze at what 
must have been about the hour that my friends at home 
were eating their comfortable breakfasts. Ben Ml was laid 
beside me, and he whispered : ^^Effendi, this time it is the 
end of us ; don't you think so ? Or is there a spark of hope 
alive in you still 

spark ? I haven’t lost an iota of hope/’ I said. 

^^Ah, it is a blessed word/’ sighed the young fellow, ^^but 
I am afraid it has been stricken from our books.” 

^^It is down in my book, as long as I live ; fastenings can 
be broken ; and a ^schebah,’ too, though it is a strong tiling, 
is not indestructible.” 

^‘How do you think you can do it ?” 

^^You will learn later ; I don’t dare tell you, for we might 
be overheard. Let us be silent now, for I must collect my 
thoughts while I am not racked by the ox, and all my at- 
tention concentrated on whether he is going to stumble and 
break his neck, and my own.” I was in earnest in saying 
this, for there was imminent danger of its happening; if I 
fell with the long and heavy “schebah” around my neck it 
was not in the least unlikely that I should be killed. 

Yot for long could I lie there and plan escape; we set out 
again as soon as possible, and rode all day in the same pain- 
ful way as before. We halted for the mid-day rest beside a 
little stream, at which I looked longingly. When I was un- 
tied and taken from the ox my limbs were so benumbed 
from long binding and painful jolting that I could not use 
arms or legs and I fell in a helpless heap. 

^^Are you so bad as that already?” laughed Ibn Asl 
scornfully. ^^Will you still boast of your strength?” 

^^When did I ever boast of it?” I asked. you im- 


242 


THE TASK FULFILLED. 


agine I suffer? I am rejoicing, rather, that you will not 
reach Wagunda in time/^ 

My clothing was stiff with blood; it had come in great 
part from the arms and legs, and I knew that my weakness 
was but temporary, and that they would soon be able to 
serve me as well as ever, but I tried to increase my appear- 
ance of weakness, tactics which were not without result later. 

We rested two hours this time and halted for the night on 
the border of a kind of prairie, where Ibn Asl pitched the 
tent which two pack oxen had carried for his use. Ben Nil 
and Selim were laid beside the camp fire, entrusted to the 
care of guards, but Ibn Asl said, as he examined my hand- 
cuffs and ^^schebah” carefully: “I will not leave this fellow 
outside; you must get into the tent where I can be sure of 
you."’ 

Accordingly I was laid in the rear of Ibn Asl’s own tent, 
my ^^schebah” made fast to its pole, and my feet tied to- 
gether. Near the entrance where soft blankets were piled for 
Ibn Asks bed, attendants set a jar of water for the night. 
This water couJd deliver me, and it took all the self-control I 
could muster to see it there beyond my reach, know- 
ing this to be true. As Ibn Asl stretched out to sleep he 
said: “Do not dream of flight! I shall hear every move- 
ment ; if you attempted to rise, the ^schebah’ would shake the 
tent pole, if it did not pull it down, and a watcher sits out- 
side who will not take his eyes off the tent.” The villain was 
right, but if I could have reached his water jar he would 
have found out his mistake. 

He dropped the tent curtains and lay down in perfect 
stillness, and I was as still as he. Sleep was out of the 
question ; my brain whirled and ached with hard thinking, 
and my bed was too hard to rest on. While that water Jar 
still sat there I could not escape ; I looked at it till I became 
half delirious and fell into something that resembled light 


THE TASK FULFILLED. 


243 


sleep, from which I was shortly aroused by the voices of 
the guards waking the sleepers outside to another day of 
travel and pain. 

We started at dawn and had gone but a little distance 
when a spy came up to Ibn Asl from the direction of 
Wagunda, saying: have succeeded beyond my hopes, my 

lord ; I have listened to the talk of two white ‘Asaker’ of the 
Eeis Effendina^s whom I came upon in the woods where 
they had gone to shoot game.'’^ 

‘‘What was their talk about 

“Of you ; they said you were not expected in less than five 
days, and they look for you from the opposite direction. 
They are led by the Reis Eifendina, and they have not full 
confidence in him; they said they would rather have had 
the Effendi lead them, and so would the Bors who are with 
them.” 

“Do you hear your praise, Effendi ?” asked Ibn Asl, turn- 
ing to me. “I hope you will never betray the confidence re- 
posed in you.” 

“Be sure that I will do my best for them,” I replied. 

“Your best is over,” he sneered. Then, turning back to 
the spy, he said : “Did you hear anything else ?” 

“Nothing, except that they think our prisoners have re- 
turned from Wagunda by the way they came, and have no 
idea that they went toward Fagoda to get help.” 

“Very well; I am much pleased with your news. Move 
on, my men ; we have not much farther to go, and will make 
the attack when it is least expected.” 

We moved on, but slowly, and I saw no way of giving the 
alarm to save Wagunda, nor even any way to save ourselves. 
If only I could speak with the Djangeh ! They were of the 
same tribe as the people in Wagunda. Still, they had been 
equally related to the unhappy creatures in Fagoda whom 
they helped destroy. When these negroes of the Soudan 


244 


THE TASK FULFILLED. 


have seen blood they throw aside every natural feeling. I 
saw that Ben Nil was losing heart more and more at each 
mile, though he said not a word. Selim, however, lamented 
loudly enough for six, and though his cowardice and lack of 
spirit made me feel like choking him, I could not help see- 
ing that it was not bad for us to have Ibn Asl believe that 
he was lowering our spirits and voicing the feelings we 
were too proud to utter. 

To my surprise I found that we were not to proceed to 
Wagunda that night; we halted at twilight, which was more 
than twilight under the trees, and made a camp. The space 
in the woods which Ibn Asl had selected for his camp was 
rather long and narrow, so that our company stretched out 
into a thin line as they lay down to rest. One wing was made 
up of the white ^‘Asaker,’’ the other of the Djangeh, while 
Ibn Ashs tent stood between the two, rather to the white 
men’s side, leaving the negroes more space than they them- 
selves occupied. I was deposited in Ibn Asl’s tent as before ; 
the oxen were tied behind the bushes. 

Ibn Asl sat in the entrance of the tent, and one of the 
Djangeh brought him a jar of water, from which he drank, 
then set it carelessly behind him. A spy came to him with 
tidings which I could not catch, but I heard Ibn Asl say: 
‘^Good ! we will attack after midnight. Let the guard be the 
same as yesterday, and call me about midnight. Give me 
my blankets.” He received them, prepared his own bed, and 
in doing so set the water jar further back, lest he should 
stumble over it. Then he said to me : ^^Dog, this has been 
your last day; to-morrow the Eeis Effendina will be in my 
hands, and then I will make you howl till you are heard the 
full length of the Nile.” 

^The Nile is a long river,” I thought, “and it is a long 
lane that has no turn !” I did not answer; my whole atten- 
tion was fastened on that jar, and I fairly trembled lest he 


THE TASK FULFILLED. 


245 


should move it out of my reach, but no — I drew a long 
breath. He had lain down and forgotten it ! 

I waited to be sure that he was asleep fully an hour, which 
seemed to me like an eternity. Then I stretched out my 
feet, still tied together, to try to ^^fish” for that jar. I con- 
trived to get one foot around it; then, drawing up my legs 
slowly, slowly, pulled toward me. At last I could reach it 
with my hands. It had a mouth big enough to get one hand 
in, and I chose ‘the left one because ordinarily it is smaller 
than the right. The water was cool, and I let the hand sink 
down, taking care not to rattle the chains. There was no 
way of measuring time, but it may have been another hour 
before I took the hand out. As I felt it with my right one I 
found the skin wrinkled and knew the swelling had gone 
down. Holding the handcuff with my right hand, I began 
to pull — pull — “Hamdulillah !” I almost cried — it started; 
a little more — the hand was free ! 

Now, quick, and get my neck out of that accursed ^^sche- 
bah” — it was done ! Now for the ropes that bound my feet ! 
They had been tied in a noose ; I pulled it out, and was once 
more in possession of all my limbs; only the handcuff and 
chain hung on my right hand, which, instead of being a 
drawback, could serve me as a weapon. 

What next ? Should I free Ben Nil and Selim ? I dared 
not, for the risk was too great, but I did not mean to quit 
that tent without making Ibn Asl unable to do any more 
harm for a while. I crept up to him, holding my chains so 
that they should not rattle. He breathed quietly and heav- 
ily. He slept. Should I stab him with his own knife ? No, 
I was not a murderer. I leaned over him, seized his throat, 
struck one blow on his temple — a half audible gurgle — and 
he was mine ! 

Now up and away with him ! I took the knife and pistol 
from his girdle and rose. The guards sat before the tent; 


246 


THE TASK FULFILLED. 


the knife was sharp, however, and I cut out the left side of 
the canvas, lifted Ibn Asl and passed out, not as quickly as 
it can be told, yet without making a noise. Fortunately I 
emerged from the tent near the shrubbery where the oxen 
were tied ; I passed through among the animals, hidden by 
them from sight, and got away from the camp into the 
woods. The place was familiar to me, and I did not hesi- 
tate in selecting the spot where I would deposit my burden, 
and tie Ibn Asl fast until such time as I could return for 
him. I had the ropes with which my feet had been tied in 
my pocket, and with them, and my prisoner’s own girdle and 
long head covering, I had no difficulty in making him secure. 
I also furnished him with a gag which I am sure gave him 
much satisfaction when he recovered consciousness, for it 
fitted beautifully, and what was more, kept him from cry- 
ing out ! 

Having attended to these pleasant duties, I hurried as fast 
as I could run toward the village. It struck me that it 
would be good sport if I could finish the night’s work with- 
out the aid of the Eeis Effendina, proving to him that I was 
not quite useless, and I hoped to he able to do this with the 
aid of the Bors. So I went directly toward their part of the 
emir’s camp, and while I was wondering how I could make 
them know what I had to tell them, I almost fell over the 
young interpreter who had accompanied us hither. I 
clapped my hand over his mouth to prevent the cry of sur- 
prise he was about to utter at the sight of me, and I told him 
the story of the past few days, ending with the request that 
he would help me secure his chief’s aid in capturing Ibn 
Asl’s camp, which any moment might awake to discover 
their leader’s absence and fall upon Wagunda. He needed 
no urging, for he was furious over what I had told him, and 
I left him to go to his chief, while I waited for them at an 
appointed place. 


THE TASK FULFILLED. 


247 


He soon returned with his chief, and together we three 
crept back to Ibn AsFs camp. Our plan was for the chief to 
enter the Djangeh’s quarters and persuade them to rise 
against their unnatural ally, which we were sure they would 
do when urged by one of their own race to follow him. There 
was but one danger, and that was that they might give the 
alarm before they recognized the intruder as the Bor chief. 

We slipped softly through the bushes and entered the 
Djangeh camp. The men were sleeping the heavy sleep of 
utter weariness; the chief crept up to one of them, laid his 
hand over his mouth and whispered into his ear. The man 
started up, but lay down quietly at a word from the chief. 
A second and a third was awakened; then the chief said to 
me through the interpreter: ‘^Go into the tent, Effendi; 
these men will awaken each other, and we will fall upon the 
sleeping ^Asaker.^ It may not be necessary for you to take 
any part in their capture.’’ I was glad to go and bring the 
good news of freedom to my anxious comrades, and crept 
over to the tent, in front of which they were lying. I drew 
Ibn Asl’s heavy pistol, and, coming up behind, struck the 
guard keeping watch over them a blow that laid him sense- 
less; then I hastened to Ben Nil. He was not asleep and he 
knew me instantly. ^^Effendi,” he whispered, ‘^are you 
free?” 

^‘Yes; be still and wake no one.” I cut the thongs that 
held him and pulled off his ^^schebah.” He could not rise, 
but I helped him up and he whispered : ^^There to the right 
lie our weapons ; give me mine ; I can shoot in spite of my 
handcuffs.” 

^^Not yet; come into the tent; the Djangeh might mix 
you up with the ^Asaker’.” 

^The Djangeh? What about them? How came they 

to ” I let him say no more, shoved him into the tent, 

went back and freed Selim, holding one hand over his 


248 


THE TASK FULFILLED. 


mouth to prevent his speaking, and got him into the tent. 
N'one too soon was this done, for in an instant the Djangeh, 
who had by this time all learned that their chief was there, 
and that Ibn Asl would have murdered him, came creeping 
like black shadows to the tent to get the ropes and chains 
intended for the Wagunda Gohks, to have them ready to 
serve the same purpose in his regard. I ordered the 
Djangehs to appoint three of their number to each white 
^^Askeri,” and be ready to act all at the same time. They 
carried out the plan as well as any trained troops could have 
done. Noiseless as ghosts they glided in threes, each group 
to its appointed place, and at a signal seized their man, dis- 
armed and bound him before he knew what had happened, 
and in a few moments the work was thoroughly and noise- 
lessly done ; not a single ^^Askeri” escaped. 

Then we lighted the fire, which we needed to see by, and 
sent the interpreter to invite the Eeis Effendina to the little 
surprise party we had prepared for him. While we waited 
his coming, I sent a small band to bring in Ibn Asl under 
Ben Nil; they took with them for his use the ^^schebah” I 
had worn so painfully since my capture. 

He wore this ornament when they led him in. I had not 
intended speaking to liim, but he stopped before me with 
his eyes blazing with hatred, and cursed me so vehemently 
that I handed his own hippopotamus skin whip to Selim, 
whom I knew he despised as the coward he was, and bade 
him whip him into silence. Selim’s long arms fiew like a 
windmill, and he laid on with a relish born of his own suf- 
ferings and the delight of perfect security in beating the 
most daring and wicked wretch in all Africa. I must say I 
had never seen Selim do anything half as well. 

While this was going on the Reis Efiendina arrived. He 
came toward me with all his old cordiality; holding out 
both hands toward me he said: ^Torgive me, Effendi; I 


THE TASK FULFILLED. 


249 


have been unjust to you, and ungrateful; and now, but for 
you, I and all tbe village would have been destroyed. For- 
give me and be my friend once more.’’ 

^^Witb all my heart,” I cried, for I really liked tbe worthy 
man. ‘^It is for you now to sentence these prisoners cap- 
tured here and carry out your office. My work is done.” 

^^Set free, first of all, the poor wretches whom this beast 
has enslaved,” said the Keis, turning to Aziz, his favorite. 
The order was at once executed, and, staggering under their 
loss of blood and the mental and bodily suffering they had 
endured, the poor victims from Fagoda fell at the emir’s 
feet and at mine, kissing them and incoherently sobbing 
out their joy and gratitude. 

“I have a present to make you,” said the Reis, as he mo- 
tioned to his men to help them rise. ‘T give Ibn Asl into 
your hands ; deal with him and punish him as you see fit.” 

A howl of rage and triumph rent the night air at these 
words, while the negroes sprang to their feet as though they 
had new life infused by them. They fell on Ibn Asl with- 
out the loss of a moment and he would have been torn limb 
from limb before our eyes had not the emir said: ^‘One 
moment. This Effendi is not accustomed to the justice of 
the Soudan; lead the man away.” All Ibn Asl’s courage 
gave way before this awful sentence; trembling and jab- 
bering incoherently in his terror, he clutched at my gar- 
ments, asking me to intercede for him. Before I could re- 
ply the Reis Effendina interposed : ‘^He will not ask mer- 
cy for you, and if he did it should not be granted. As you 
have dealt with these men, their children and helpless moth- 
ers, so shall they deal with you. Take him away.” 

Bending under his heavy ^^schebah,” dragged, kicked and 
shoved along the ground Ibn Asl passed out of sight to his 
doom. I never knew how it met him ; I never dared to ask. 
Knowing that it was dealt to him by negro savages, whole 


250 


THE TASK FULFILLED, 


homes he had destroyed, and whose dear ones he had slaugh- 
tered, I knew it must have come in a form which was hor- 
rible beyond imagination. Yet there was no denying that 
the Reis Effendina had contrived retribution that was just, 
and that no suffering one man could endure could equal the 
agony of the many he had murdered and sold into slavery. 
“Woe to him who does evil,’^ was the emir’s motto, and Ibn 
Asl had reaped as he had sown. 

The Djangeh were pardonedffor their part in the destruc- 
tion of Fagoda, but the white “Asaker”, were shot for their 
participation in crimes of which they understood the full 
extent. 

I had had enough of life in the Soudan and longed for a 
glimpse of civilization once more. The Reis Effendina took 
me back to Cairo on his ship, the “Falcon,” and we parted 
there with genuine regret on both sides. 

The parting that cost me most, however, was from my 
true, brave Ben Nil, who was half heartbroken when the 
hour came. The Reis Effendina, who had good reason to 
know his value, promised me to take him into his immedi- 
ate personal service, so the fine fellow prospered, as curious 
letters which have reached me since from that distant land 
and his hand have assured me. 

As to Selim, he implored me to take him with me to my 
distant home in the West, and was much cast down at being 
refused. But not even his representations that I should 
have no one to protect me in that strange land, America, of 
which I spoke, if I left him behind, availed him, and I said 
good-by forever to the ^^greatest warrior, the greatest hero 
in the world” — and the greatest donkey — when I said good- 
by to Egypt and the Soudan and began the voyage which 
ended only when I set foot once more on my native soil. 


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